Heel Tough Blog: Five Freshmen That Could Become Factors for the Team in 2026

The Tar Heel brought in the second-most freshmen of anyone in the country back in February and the team will be banking on some of these guys to make an impact in their first seasons at the college level. Here are the five freshmen that we think could have a big impact on the team at some point this season.

Carson Sneed

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Sneed is the one guy that could make an impact right out of the gate in Ireland. He has been running with the ones in place of the injured Jordan Washington since the first day of camp after there was a lot of positive buzz around him coming into camp, so it’s not a stretch to see him on the field in some two tight end sets alongside projected starter Jelani Thurman. He has the hands and route running to shine as a pass catcher and his background as a former offensive lineman should give you confidence about his blocking skills. Expect him to play some important snaps in the opener.

C.J. Sadler

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The Tar Heels may appear to have their starters at wide receiver, but the battle for reps behind them seems to be pretty wide open. Sadler was one of the two guys who received the most praise amongst the freshmen in this room back in the spring and looks like he will be the backup in the slot behind Trech Kekahuna. While Kekahuna will likely take the bulk of the important snaps here, especially early, it can’t be ruled out that someone as talented as Sadler does enough to earn some rotational reps out of the gate.

Carnell Warren

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Warren is in a similar situation as Sadler. After flashing at different points during the spring, things have been quiet over the past month, but he has still landed himself on the projected two deeps. The team will be relying heavily on Jordan Shipp and Mason Humphrey this season on the outside, but Warren could be someone that plays some important reps as a rotational option, especially if he can provide some explosive plays down the field.

Will Conroy

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While Sneed is the only freshman that has been running with the ones, we have heard a lot about Conroy taking the snaps at center with the twos. The hope is that Christo Kelly will be able to live up to the expectations that the team has for him this season, but if he is to struggle or get banged up again, the team may have to turn to Conroy at some point. He has worked hard to earn this backup center job this offseason and could be in for some important reps at some point this season.

Calvin Thomas

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Thomas is the other true freshman that has been taking reps with the twos in recent weeks and he might head into the opener a part of the initial two-deep. Melkart Abou Jaoude, Jaylen Harvey and Donovan Hoilette will likely play the majority of the important reps early in the season, so it is up to Thomas to stay ahead of Joseph Mupoyi on the depth chart and be ready to factor in. It might not be immediate, but he could receive rotational reps later in the season if he continues to progress.