UNC football program's defensive line needs to be disruptive in 2024

It’s time for our UNC football positional previews for the 2024 college football season and they are shifting to the defense side as the focus will be shifted to the Defensive line.

Blue has not impressed on the defensive end in the past few years and has hired Geoff Collins to come in and fix it. This unit of players should also gain from the fact that they will be under the technicalities of former NFL assistant Ted Monachino, as the coaching staff will be keen to have this hinder more this time around.

Yes, of course, there are many who look at the secondary for the demise in past teams because they are an easy target in pass defense. However, they can’t fully be to blame because it is equally important to apply pressure in the backfield so that the opposing team cannot execute its plays as desired.

The defensive line group entering this year has a lot of returnees, but is this the year that the group really comes of age?

What We Know

Kaimon Rucker returns for five (and final) year playing for the Tar Heels, and for his last year he will change his number. Rucker remains this group’s brightest star and should remain a terror to opposing defenses, however he will definitely need support from the other guys, as others should make their hay while their respective opposing offenses put so much focus on keeping Rucker in check.

The Key Players

Kaimon Rucker

Rucker assembled a monstrous 2023 campaign, and his 60 quarterback pressures rank third of players returning to college football next season. He will ensure that he goes a notch higher than the 8. 5 sacks that he posted in the 2023 season, the expectation is the officials will finally blow their whistle on some of the holds that an O-lineman is inclined to fake in their bid to block the UNC standout defensive lineman.

Desmond Evans

Marquise Evans has evidence of the protention at UNC football but has been unable to live up to the expectation.

Still, Evans may very well be the more crucial player for this year’s assembly, where the Tar Heels could sure use a more consistent producer to help alleviate some pressure off of Rucker.

If he does not exude that much needed consistency, this next player is easily one of the most conceivable breakout players for the UNC football team in the coming season.

Beau Atkinson

Atkinson did not play as much as Evans a season ago; however, he was still quite efficient in his usage for the Tar Heels.

Atkinson was also involved in a total of 229 snaps and for the man, things were definitely happening as he made his 19 total tackles, and 3. Sacking the quarterback five times during the season and applying pressure 14 times to the quarterback. If Atkinson wants to step up as a leader during the 2024 season, then he might just get a significantly larger role this season and the UNC football program would want him to excel.

Kevin Hester Jr.

In efficiency relative to projection, all of the UNC football program’s defensive tackles regressed a season ago.

Nevertheless, Kevin Hester Jr. was reliable in the run defense, but he produced doubts when other teams chose to throw the football. It is quite astonishing that in 411 snaps or less, Hester Jr. did not have any tackle for loss; this has to improve in the 2024 season.

Though equally as tall as White, a seasoned player, Hester seems even more likely to be a big play maker in both running and passing situations.

Jahvaree Ritzie

As for primary responsibility in pass defense, Hester Jr. was not up to the par, while Jahvaree Ritzie was awful as a run stopper. He displayed the skills of an acceptable pass rusher but was really bad in defending the rush specifically in tackling, a problem that could hurt him this year.

Travis Shaw

It could also be said that he is a player that has been hyped so much about his abilities but just hasn’t found the form expected of him.

The fact that the coaching staff underwent a significant roster change could be a benefit to Shaw since the staff now has to go all out in order to get the best out of this former five-star talent, Geoff Collins.

If they can cultivate him to his full potential, he has the ability to cause matchup problems for the opposing teams’ o-line.

Joshua Harris

Originally coming from Ole Miss, and previously at NC State, Harris was signed as a transfer for the much-needed depth in the defensive tackle.

He is not a kind of guy who could get a lot of snaps throughout his career, but at the same time he is one guy who can be useful in some specific conditions. Look for Harris to be a part of the defensive line on this team especially with Mack Brown eying more players to play this year.

Outlook

This unit comes into the 2024 season full of uncertainties.

Should UNC football wish to become a better defensive team then this unit is capable of achieving this feat to its optimum. They can not afford to fight on the ground, especially in passings as the defensive line must be the team’s backbone, enforcer for this unit for the entire season.

Depth Chart

Projected Starters:

Defensive End: Desmond Evans

Nose Tackle: Kevin Hester Jr.

Defensive Tackle- Jahvaree Ritzie

Edge- Kaimon Rucker

Reserves:

Special Teams- LE- Calvin Jackson Jr. , Defensive End- Beau Atkinson and Jacolbe Cowan

Nose Tackle- Travis Shaw

Defensive Tackle- Joshua Harris

Edge- Mali Hamrick