3 biggest North Carolina football storylines to follow this spring

2. Hampton’s increased workload behind a rebuilding line

The no-Maye ripple effect also impacts the run game in a significant way, and North Carolina may have to lean on its star tailback a bit more in 2024. Now that the passing game may not be as much of a threat, opposing defenses will tend to spy on Omarion Hampton more frequently throughout the season. Depending on how the passing offense pans out, Hampton, who was a second-team AP All-American and Doak Walker Award finalist in 2023, could see a big uptick in usage, which may or may not be beneficial to his production.

He and the rest of the Tar Heel skill position players will play behind an offensive line that has size and talent, but lacks quality experience and overall depth.

North Carolina lost four of five starters from this past season and is in need of a quick rebuild in the trenches. The coaching staff did address this issue by reeling in four new offensive linemen through the portal, including former four-year Georgia Bulldog Austin Blaske, but a lot of question marks still surround this unit entering 2024.