Heel Tough Blog: Week 0 PFF Report - TCU

University of North Carolina Athletics

The Tar Heels opened the 2026 college football season in style, upsetting TCU 15-10 in Dublin to validate the growth of the program under Bill Belichick, who spent the off-season communicating a message about improved chemistry and cohesiveness. Like in most sports, analytics and advanced metrics help us evaluate how a team or a player performed in a certain setting, and football is no different in the age of PFF, along with NextGen Stats. In a new feature this season, we will take a look at the five highest-graded players on both sides of the ball for the Tar Heels, according to PFF. Here are the results from the Week 1 win over the Horned Frogs: 

Offense:

• Jelani Thurman - 71.7 

  • In his UNC debut, Thurman displayed how much of a threat he is going to be in the passing game under Bobby Petrino, catching 4 of his 8 targets for a team-high 94 yards, with a long of 35 and 73 yards coming after the catch. Per the experts at PFF, his 71.1 grade is broken down like this. They awarded him a 75.4 on passing plays (30), a 70.1 grade when he was asked to pass block (23), and a 56.1 in plays where he was asked to run block (2). 

• Jordan Shipp - 70.9 

  • Junior wide receiver Jordan Shipp led the Tar Heels in catches (5), with a long of 19 and 18 yards coming after the catch. He played 56 snaps, 33 passing downs, and 23 rushing downs, and here’s how his grade was broken down. On passing plays, PFF gave him a grade of 70.5, and on running plays, he was given a grade of 60.0 

• Demon June - 69.0 

  • Sophomore running back Demon June only played 9 snaps on Saturday, but he made the most of his time on the football field. June carried the football 6 times for 25 yards, averaging 4.2 yards per carry, with a long of 8 yards. His grades looked like this, passing downs (58.5), rushing downs (70.5), and run blocking (60.0). 

• Jaylen McGill - 67.2 

  • Jaylen McGill had a strong training camp, earning him carries in the opener against TCU, where he carried the ball 5 times for 33 yards, all while providing the lone touchdown for Carolina’s offense. McGiill played 25 snaps on Saturday, and here’s a snapshot of his grades according to PFF, passing plays (53.4), pass blocking (77.7), a 70.5 in rushing plays, and finally a 59.9 in run blocking. 

• Shamar Easter - 66.6 

  • Like McGill, Easter’s snaps were limited, as he played just 12 downs against TCU and registered just one catch for 9 yards across his two total targets. His grades look like this; passing downs (67.8) and a 57.3 on run plays where he was asked to block. 

Defense: 

• Xavier Lewis - 82.4 

  • Xavier Lewis was the star of Week 0, not only for the Tar Heels, but in all of college football, registering 7 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, along with 2 sacks, in his 54 defensive snaps. Let’s take a look at how he graded out. In run defense, Lewis was awarded a 78.4, which led the team. His tackling grade was a modest 45.4, but he bounced back with a 75.4 in pass rush situations. 

• Melkart Abou Joude - 80.1 

  • Expectations are high for Abou Joude after breaking onto the scene last year, after transferring in from Delaware, and if Saturday is any indication, he’s prepared for a big season. Abou Joude recorded 4 total tackles, 1 sack, and 1 tackle for loss, all while forcing a fumble, which was recovered by Jaylen Harvey. According to PFF, Abou Joude registered grades of 58.7 in run defense, a 75.4 tackling grade, an 87.6 in pass rush, and a 66.1 when dropped back into coverage. 

• Coleman Bryson - 78.3 

  • Bryson made some plays on Saturday that certainly helped Carolina win the game, even if his stats only add up to 2 tackles and a pass broken up in his 34 defensive snaps. Per PFF, Bryson earned a 62.7 in run defense, an 80.2 tackling grade, and an 82.0 in coverage. 

• Jaylen Harvey - 75.0 

  • The Penn State transfer made his impact felt on Saturday, with 5 total tackles, 1 QB hurry, and a fumble recovery. How consistent Harvey can be this season will likely determine how high Carolina’s defense can climb, and if Saturday was a sign of things to come, big things are in store for the former Nittany Lion. Harvey was given a 67.8 grade in run defense, a 62.0 tackling grade, a 61.9 pass rush grade, and a 77.3 coverage grade. 

• Greg Smith - 71.5 

  • Safety Greg Smith was 4th on the team in tackles in the TCU win, with 6 total tackles, 4 of them being solo stops, along with a pass broken up. His PFF grades break down like this here, a 74.5 in run defense, a 63.8 tackling grade, and a 68.0 coverage grade. 

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