Heel Tough Blog: 2026 Position Previews- RB

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With official visits done for the summer, it is time to turn our attention back to the 2026 team. We’ll do so by giving you our in-depth position previews for this season where we do a deep dive on each position room as we wait for fall camp to start. We continue our look at the offensive side of the ball with a look at the running back room, one that hopes to provide more consistency than a year ago.

The leader of the room still feels like it is going to be sophomore Demon June, who showed some nice promise as a true freshman last year. In 244 snaps a year ago, June carried the ball 84 times for 464 yards and two touchdowns, the middle number which led the team. He also caught 17 passes for 159 yards and a touchdown out of the backfield. This year, he will be looking to be a little more successful inside the tackles than he was late in the season, but will also be looking to prove that he can make things happen on the edges, too. If he can find that consistency, he could be poised for an even bigger breakout season this year.

The good news is, he should have more help than he had a year ago. Junior Benjamin Hall is back for another season in Chapel Hill after serving as the team’s third option at running back for most of the year and is seeking a bigger role. In 168 snaps this past season, Hall ran for 274 yards and two touchdowns on 71 carries and caught eight passes for 34 yards. In Year 2 with the program, the hope is that he can show some of the potential that he showed at the high school level that landed him at Michigan. If he can do that, he might be a nice asset in that Tar Heel backfield.

He’ll have to hold off a charge from junior LSU transfer Kaleb Jackson, who has had an outstanding offseason for himself in Chapel Hill. It started in the weight room, where Jackson was one of the standouts amongst the entire team and carried over into the spring where he reportedly stood out in the backfield. With his return experience on special teams, he is the guy that the Tar Heels are looking to provide some explosive plays on the edges. If he builds off of what he did in the spring, he should be able to find himself in the type of role that he could never settle into with the Tigers.

A wild card piece in the backfield will be sophomore Jaylen McGill, who should be more ready to contribute after struggling in his role a year ago. McGill was used as a receiver in five wide receiver sets a year ago and failed to make a major impact in the 45 snaps that he played. Judging off of his high school career where he ran for 4,296 yards and 71 touchdowns, there is definitely talent there and he fits the billing as someone that can create more explosive plays for this offense and have success off tackle. The question is has he adjusted the college level yet?

The deeper depth in the room is in pretty good shape, as well. Junior Charleston French is back after playing four snaps a year ago and is hoping for a bigger role this season, while redshirt freshman JoJo Troupe will look to battle him for that fourth running back spot.

True freshman Crew Davis will also be in the mix for that role following a productive high school career. He ran for 3,129 yards and 39 touchdowns and caught 119 passes for 1,140 yards and 13 touchdowns in his three seasons of production at Iona Preparatory School in New Rochelle, NY, showing just how complete of a back he is. If he can prove himself as that dual threat out of the backfield, it might be enough to have him climbing the depth chart this season.

Projected Depth Chart:

RB

# 0 Demon June, So.

# 5 Kaleb Jackson, Jr.

# 7 Benjamin Hall, Jr.

#27 Jaylen McGill, So.

#20 Crew Davis, Fr.

#23 Charleston French, Jr.

#26 JoJo Troupe, RFr.