Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Welcome Back Kicker With Extra Year of Eligibility

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With the injunction in Colorado from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney last Friday, members of the 2022 class are receiving an extra year of eligibility in all sports. On Wednesday, the program announced that they will be taking advantage of this ruling to add a key weapon to this team this season.

Placekicker Rece Verhoff will be returning to the Tar Heels for a second season after a productive 2025 season where he was an All-ACC honorable mention. After a solid three-year stint at Marshall, Verhoff put together a career season in Chapel Hill, hitting all 20 of his extra point attempts and nailing 19 of 23 field goals, including one from a school-record 57 yards in the game against Wake Forest late in the season. He also handled kickoff duties for the team last season, averaging 64.4 yards per kick and sending 39 for touchbacks on 52 kickoffs.

This is a very nice addition for the Tar Heels, who now have a kicker with a track record heading into an important game with TCU in Dublin to open the season. The tricky part is that the NCAA is attempting to reverse the decision, so the Tar Heels need to make sure that they are preparing both Aeron Burrell and David Green for the possibility that they may be needed at some point. The hope is that this ruling stands up, though, and the team can feature one of the better kickers in the league again this year.