The UNC Tar Heels are looking to build on their success since Mack Brown came to town. Since 2019, the Tar Heels have made a bowl each and every year. This year they have a chance to contend in the ACC. Can Mack Brown and company build on their success?

Offense

UNC’s offense is led by their fantastic passing game and quarterback Drake Maye. Maye last season threw for 4,321 passing yards to go along with 38 passing touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He also added seven rushing touchdowns as well. Maye is the reigning ACC player of the year and will look to build off of an amazing sophomore campaign. 

The rest of this offense will have to continue to do their job to help Maye in 2023. UNC returns four starters on the offensive line from a season ago. Maye loses his top two targets from last season, but they brought in two talented wide outs to replace them. Nate McCollum from Georgia Tech and Tez Walker from Kent State came to UNC to help Maye. They also get back running back Elijah Green to help bolster the deepest position on the team. Their offense was never the issue last season, and Maye will continue to bolster his draft stock for next year. 

Defense 

The Tar Heels defense needs to be a lot better in 2023. I mean, they can’t be worse than they were a season ago. UNC gave up the most yards allowed and the most points per game in all the ACC. They never stopped opponents’ run games and they struggled a ton to defend the pass. The two big names that returned on defense were linebackers Cedric Gray and Power Echols. Both had over 100 tackles last season. With those two back leading the way, the Tar Heels look to revamp the worst defense in the ACC from a season ago. 

Win Total Prediction

The UNC Win Total is set at 8.5 wins. The over is at +100 odds while the under is at -122 on the FanDuel Sportsbook. I really love the UNC offense and I think this defense is going to come along in 2023. Take the over 8.5 win total at +100 odds. That is a one unit play from me. I trust Drake Maye to get the job done and for Mack Brown to not let their defense be as bad as they were in 2022. I’m all in on UNC in 2023. 

Schedule Predictions

Win at South Carolina (1-0)

Win vs Appalachian State (2-0)

Decisive Win vs Minnesota (3-0)

Loss at Pittsburgh (3-1)

Win vs Syracuse (4-1)

Shootout Win vs Miami (5-1)

Win vs Virginia (6-1)

Win at Georgia Tech (7-1)

Blowout Win vs Campbell (8-1)

Win vs Duke (9-1)

Loss at Clemson (9-2)

Loss at NC State (9-3)