North Carolina Football: Realistic expectations for Tar Heels in 2023

Thanks to the rise of Drake Maye, North Carolina football won nine games in 2022. What’s realistic for the Tar Heels in 2023?

North Carolina football has been on the rise under Mack Brown, in his second tenure as the Tar Heels head coach, and armed with one of the best quarterbacks in college football, the 2023 season is highly anticipated.

Back in 2020, North Carolina football was playing in the Orange Bowl and that showed what this program could be capable of. Brown has been recruiting at a high level and that talent is starting to show up in the ACC.

The Tar Heels were one of the hottest teams in the country at one point in 2023 and were even getting mentioned as a College Football Playoff contender before losing three straight to lose the regular season, as well as a bowl loss against Oregon.

So what can North Carolina football fans expect in 2023? Here is our look at realistic expectations for the Tar Heels in 2023.

Realistic expectations for North Carolina football in 2023

The Tar Heels will have to overcome Josh Downs departure and some other receivers not returning but the cupboard isn’t bare as three guys with at least 15 receptions from last season are back and other promising recruits are waiting in the wings.

North Carolina ran the ball fine last season and Maye also helped with that. He was actually the Tar Heels leading rusher and he had seven touchdowns on the ground in addition to throwing for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns.

Maye is going to have to be spectacular next season and he should be. He’s got a legit shot to win the Heisman Trophy and the Tar Heels have a legit shot of winning the ACC.

Anything less than playing for the ACC championship would be a disappointment in my book, but the defense has to improve. There will be some new starters in the secondary from the transfer portal. There also has to be hope that former five-star Travis Shaw makes a big impact.

North Carolina isn’t going to win much of anything by allowing 30 points per game. Maye carried the team to nine wins but if the Tar Heels want more, the defense has to get better.

The non-conference schedule is challenging but doable. The opener against South Carolina will be key and in terms of the ACC, road games against Pitt, Clemson, and North Carolina State will likely determine if North Carolina football reaches the ACC championship game again.

Remember, this year, it’s just the top two teams — there are no divisions. North Carolina does get to avoid Florida State football, but I have a hard team seeing this team win more than nine games in the 2023 regular season.