It’s the day after Christmas, which in some regions is known as Boxing Day, though here in America it is known as the day we return the stuff we didn’t really want for Christmas. Though maybe we should not be so quick to return everything (even if it is for cash) and enjoy the gift and the thought behind it, unless it’s socks from your uncle, those should always be returned, I mean who needs socks?
So with that in mind, here are some players that I feel the North Carolina football staff should try
to cherish, aka keep around for at least another season. I will not be doing a return’s section as that is just mean and this is Christmas after all (it’s one thing to think it and even mention it to friends, it’s another thing to publish it online for all, including said player and their family to potentially see).
Jordan Shipp
This was an easy choice as Shipp was the offensive, if not team, MVP for this past season. Shipp finished the season with 60 receptions for 671 yards and six touchdowns. He accounted for 26.4% of the teams receptions, 30.5% of the team’s receiving yards, and 25% of the team’s offensive touchdowns. None of those numbers were great on a national level, but that had more to do with the offense as a whole than it did with Shipp. He has said he plans to stay, but he should definitely be new OC Bobby Petrino’s first call.
Demon June
If Davion Gause hadn’t already entered the portal, this might’ve read either young running back. However, Gause did enter which puts more emphasis on keeping June. June led the Tar Heels in rushing last season with 464 yards on 84 carries. He also had 17 receptions for 159 yards and had 3 total touchdowns on the season. June’s biggest issue was that the coaching staff couldn’t figure out the rushing rotation as he only had 10 carries in a game three times and ran for over 100 yards just twice. He also saw his carries drop tremendously after his 13 rush 101 yard performance against Syracuse as he only carried the ball 18 more times for 48 yards during the last four games of the season, a period that saw the Tar Heels go 1-3. With Caleb Hood graduating and Gause leaving via the portal, keeping June would go a long way to help stabilize the running game going into next season.
Melkart Abou Jaoude
On the defensive side of the ball there will be a lot of transition as several players are graduating, including the whole starting secondary as well as Andrew Simpson, and several key players are transferring in leading tackler Khmori House and the emerging Tyler Thompson, who would’ve gotten his own section here if he hadn’t already declared. Though there are other defensive guys worth keeping, such as Kaleb Cost, Jaoude is the obvious selection here. Jaoude led the team and ACC in sacks (he finished tied for tenth nationally). He was also super impressive during the Tar Heels best stretch recording eight sacks over three games where North Carolina went 2-1, with the one loss being in OT to Virginia. Jaoude is the kind of player any defense would want to build around and with loss of Thompson, is the kind of player a defense needs to keep to help establish itself for the future.
Are there any other players the staff should try hard to keep? Let us know in the comments below.
