Heel Tough Blog: 2025 Position Previews- DL

Doug Murray- Icon Sportswire

It’s that time of year again, folks. With the season fast approaching, it is time to give you a preview of what this roster is going to look like this upcoming season under new coach Bill Belichick. Today, we take a look at a position group that has seen plenty of turnover this offseason and will be flooded with new contributors, the defensive line.

With the graduation of Kaimon Rucker and the transfer of Beau Atkinson, the team is in need of a new leader and that responsibility appears like it will be in the hands of Connecticut transfer edge rusher Pryce Yates. As a redshirt freshman in 2022 starting at defensive tackle, Yates finished with 45 total tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, 27 total quarterback pressures and one forced fumble in 528 snaps across thirteen games. In 2023, he moved out to the strongside defensive end spot and racked up 42 total tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and 30 total quarterback pressures in 559 snaps across twelve games. This season, he saw limited action because of an offseason injury, but he still tallied 21 total tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks and 14 total quarterback pressures in 340 snaps across seven games. Yates closed his time with the Huskies by being named defensive MVP of the Fenway Bowl after collecting six total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and a sack. The Tar Heels are expecting him to build on what he did in that bowl game this year and create some sort of consistent pass rush off the edge.

On the other hand, there are big questions at the other edge rusher spot. Penn State transfer Smith Vilbert is the most experienced option and appears to have the slight edge because of it. Vilbert, the No. 142 overall and No. 17 edge rusher in the portal according to 247Sports, spent the last five years in State College with the Nittany Lions, playing in 35 games across those seasons. This past year was his most successful at the college level, as he featured in all 16 games that the Nittany Lions played, playing a career-high 339 defensive snaps and 80 special teams snaps. In those snaps, he collected 12 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The Tar Heels are hoping that by giving him more responsibility this season, he’ll find a way to break out and provide some consistency opposite of Yates.

His biggest challenger for the starting spot might just be his former teammate, fellow Penn State transfer Joseph Mupoyi. Mupoyi, a 4✮ prospect back in the 2023 recruiting class, spent the last two seasons with the Nittany Lions, playing in just two games over the last two seasons. So far in his career he has played four snaps and corralled one total tackle. Back in 2022 as a senior in high school, Muypoi had 54 total tackles, 26.0 tackles for loss and 14.0 sacks as a senior, showcasing plenty of upside as an edge rusher. The Tar Heels are hoping that, similar to Vilbert, more opportunities will lead to more production.

Another guy who could make an impact in the race for reps on the edge is Delaware transfer Melkart Abou-Jaoude. Abou-Jaoude entered the portal following the most productive season of his career thus far, where he started and played in all eleven of the team’s games, tallying 24 total tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks and eight quarterback hits. He’ll have to earn his opportunities with the depth that has been added in this room, but the fact that he was with the team in the spring will certainly help his case.

In the middle, the starters seem set, but there are still plenty of questions that need to be answered. East Carolina transfer CJ Mims will anchor the group at nose tackle after being one of the few players at the position who spent the spring with the team. Mims played in 12 games this past season as a rotational piece on the defensive line for the Pirates, meaning this will be the first time in his career that he will be a full-time starter. In 339 snaps, he finished with 23 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, eight total quarterback pressures and a forced fumble, which is solid production that the team will be hoping to build on this season amidst what could be a learning curve early in the season.

Next to him will be a guy who inspires a lot of excitement despite a lack of production, Florida transfer D’Antre Robinson. played 162 snaps on defense and seven snaps on special teams across eleven games. He finished the season with 17 total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and two total quarterback hurries. Prior to that, he spent two years at Jones High School in Orlando, FL where he had 168 total tackles, 37.0 tackles for loss and 19.0 sacks. The Tar Heels are banking on him to turn those flashes into consistent play in the middle and give the team some pass rush out of the defensive tackle spot.

The top rotational player at defensive tackle will be Arizona transfer Isaiah Johnson. Johnson spent the last three seasons in Tucson, playing in 12 games and starting one in those three years. After playing just 11 snaps in his first two seasons, he was part of the rotation on the defensive line for the Wildcats, playing 170 snaps and compiling nine total tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and 2.0 sacks. The expectation is that he will be able to expand upon what he did in what will likely be more extensive snaps this season.

The depth on the interior is a huge unknown for this team this year. Outside of the top three, no one has played more than three career snaps at the college level, meaning there are plenty of opportunities here. Redshirt freshmen Leroy Jackson and Peter Pesansky are the two holdovers that remain on the roster and are hoping that their year at the college level will give them a slight advantage.

As for the true freshmen, Devin Ancrum is the guy that might hold an edge after he was with the team in the spring. Of the late enrollees, keep an eye on Nico Maggio as someone who might be able to contribute at some point if need be. The other late enrollees will include Trey Giddens, Kamarion Thomas and Laderion Williams.

On the edge, there are questions about what will happen with the hybrid edge rushers that remain on the roster from last year. Redshirt sophomore Tyler Thompson has the most experience, having played 148 snaps for the team a year ago, including two starts. He would be the guy best positioned to battle for reps this season if the staff can get over the fact that he will be playing at 225 lbs. Redshirt freshman Daniel Anderson and true freshmen Austin Alexander and Chinedu Onyeagoro are the other examples of guys that will be playing at smaller weights this year and will be hoping to find snaps for themselves at either the edge rusher spot or off-ball linebacker.

Meanwhile, fellow true freshmen Emmanuel Nwaiwu and Xavier Lewis are listed as defensive linemen and will provide depth on the edges, as could Henry Martello who is currently listed as a defensive lineman after appearing as a running back during the roster reveal on social media.

Projected Depth Chart:

DE

# 8 Smith Vilbert, Sr.

#25 Joseph Mupoyi, RFr.

#95 Daniel Anderson, RFr.

#47 Austin Alexander, Fr.

#89 Emmanuel Nwaiwu, Fr.

NT

#92 CJ Mims, Jr.

#91 Leroy Jackson, RFr.

#93 Devin Ancrum, Fr.

#96 Nico Maggio, Fr.

#84 Laderion Williams, Fr.

DT

# 6 D’Antre Robinson, RFr.

#94 Isaiah Johnson, Jr.

#51 Peter Pesansky, RFr.

#87 Trey Giddens, Fr.

#88 Kamarion Thomas, Fr.

DE

#10 Pryce Yates, Sr.

# 9 Melkart Abou-Jaoude, Jr.

#40 Tyler Thompson, So.

#28 Chinedu Onyeagoro, Fr.

#90 Xavier Lewis, Fr.

#33 Henry Martello, Fr.