There were so many things that were disappointing to watch as a UNC Football fan the last few years under Mack Brown. Higher on the list than it should be was just how special teams always seemed to be a problem for the Tar Heels.
Michael Koh from Chapelboro.com has a great run down of a few of the major snafus that cost Carolina some games. In it, he points out the two plays that probably spelled the end of the Mack Brown Era—both a blocked punt for a touchdown and a successful onside kick against
James Madison. Add in other mistakes through the years, and you have a recipe that easily cost the Tar Heels more than a share of games.
So while it’s easy to look at all of the changeover on offense and defense to try and figure out how Carolina will handle the roster turnover and new coaches, perhaps the biggest place that new coach Bill Belichick will likely have a mark is on special teams. He was known through the NFL for having a high level of passion for that phase of the game, and it lines up with his much more hands-on style.
So with that, let’s take a quick peek at what we can expect on special teams this season:
Key Departures
All of the place kickers from last season are gone That includes Noah Burnette, who took the opportunity to go from Carolina to Notre Dame. He peaked against Minnesota when he hit a 52 yarder and also hit a 45-yard game-winner in the game that saw Max Johnson break his leg. He was a Lou Groza award watch candidate and overall seemed like he was ready for big things. Much like the rest of the Tar Heels though, he would have inconsistent moments, and with the changeover in coaches he took all that potential to the Fighting Irish.
Liam Boyd was the player looking to move in for Burnette, but instead the Tar Heels will likely see him in the second week of the season against Charlotte. Also, despite Bill Belichick’s love for all things lacrosse, Ryan Hornyak currently isn’t listed on the roster, and looks to be concentrating just on lacrosse.
Key Returnees
In perhaps one of the most important positions on the team, the Tar Heels do bring a piece with a lot of experience back in the position of long snapper. Spencer Triplett was the snapper for all of the Tar Heels place kicks, and is actually on the Patrick Manelly Watch List to start the season as the best long snapper in college football. With so much roster turnover and so much new being learned, having someone as solid as Triplett hiking the ball for place kicks will help everyone else around him during the season.
Tom Maginess is also one of the few returnees for the Tar Heels. Maginess is the Aussie punter who stepped in to the role in 2023 when Ben Kiernan was hurt against Syracuse, then held the job through the 2024 season. He averaged 41.12 yards per kick, and had a long of 65 yards against Duke. He’s going to be in for some competition, as we’ll get to, but the fact that he stayed does indicate he feels he at least has a good shot.
Key Newcomers
Like just about every other position group, this special teams unit is led by a new coach — Mike Priefer. Priefer has nearly three decades of experience in special teams coaching, and most of it in the NFL. His last stint was coaching special teams in Cleveland from 2019-22, and in the Koh piece referenced above, Priefer said his interview with Belichick went over two hours just talking about the group. You know that anyone Belichick hires for this coaching spot will have passion for it, and based on interviews it appears this group is in good hands.
There will be a new placekicker for Carolina, as first-year Guytano Bartolomeo from New Jersey and Marshall senior transfer Rece Verhoff are battling out for the gig. Bartolomeo is just starting his journey so it’s possible that Verhoff will have an advantage to start, with Bartolomeo remaining as the more long-term play. Verhoff’s stats from last year include a three-for-three day with a 51-yard make, kicking 14 of 19 overall.
There is another competition for kicking, and that’s on the punting side. Despite Maginess staying, the simple fact is that Carolina ranked 16th out of 17 ACC squads in punting last year, and so there was room for someone else to fight for the job. Enter Jacob Horvath, another Aussie who transferred in from Eastern Illinois. His stats for Eastern Illinois show the competition to be legit, and he has a 76-yarder to his name. One would think that something like kicking the ball would translate the same no matter what school he plays for, but we’ll see what the result is.
Outlook
Very, very, very few people get excited about special teams. In general, it’s only something that’s noticed when you make a mistake, not when things go well. Unfortunately, this aspect of the game has been very much noticed in Chapel Hill the last few years.
If there is one area that fans should feel good about, though, it’s this one. Between the experience leading the squad, the players that are here, and the head coach’s passion for this specific phase of the game, this area of the game should be more consistent for Carolina and significantly less likely to cost the Tar Heels games. Still, we’re talking about college kickers, and we have no idea who’ll head out for the big roles until kickoff September 1st. Here’s hoping the only time we really notice is then.
