North Carolina Football: 3 upperclassmen who must step up in 2022

Another part of UNC’s defensive issues was the pass rush. It does not matter how well you cover; if you can’t get to the quarterback, someone gets open eventually. The Tar Heels had an average pass rush and finished tied for 65th in sacks last season.

Tomon Fox, North Carolina’s most productive pass rusher, has exhausted his eligibility. Fox led the team with nine sacks, but the second leader sacker had just four. No one else had more than two and a half sacks. North Carolina has to replace Fox’s production and hope someone steps ups to improve what was a mediocre pass rush last season.

Graduate transfer Noah Taylor comes in from Virginia to hopefully replace Fox’s production. Taylor comes to UNC with 12.5 career sacks, 6.5 of those as a sophomore. The Tar Heels hope they get more of what Taylor did as a sophomore, not what he did the last two seasons.

Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has to like Taylor’s versatility. Batemen will likely ask Taylor to play more at defensive end, but he played outside linebacker at Virginia. Taylor can do either effectively.

The Tar Heels need Taylor to regain some of that form from 2019. He and Chris Collins, who was second on the team in tackles for loss, and Kaimon Rucker, who was second on the team in sacks, could form a formidable pass rush trio for the Tar Heels.