It was the same old story for the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday night: they jumped out to a double-digit lead, then squandered it. They got away with it last week against Duke, but the Syracuse Orange made them pay, defeating the Tar Heels 31-30.
North Carolina was trending towards a major win heading into a daunting matchup against the Miami Hurricanes next weekend. However, the offense failed to sustain drives, and the defense was incompetent against the run. With that in mind, here's a look at which Tar Heels' stocks rose and dropped after Week 8.
Stock Up
Peyton Seelmann
The Richmond transfer has been an immediate-impact player for the Tar Heels this season. While the defense was pedestrian in multiple facets on Saturday night, Seelmann was all over the field. The junior linebacker recorded 11 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and one sack.
Seelmann's ability to track the ball sideline to sideline was on full display, and he's proven to be one of the most impactful additions in the transfer portal.
Trech Kekahuna
Kekahuna is still operating in a limited role, but with Mason Humphrey missing his second consecutive game, he has seen more opportunities.
The 5-foot-10, 185-pound wide receiver caught four passes for 33 yards, which isn't worth writing home about. However, he is another pass catcher who can create yards after the catch. Kekahuna's involvement in the offense has grown over the last several weeks.
Jordan Shipp
We already know the caliber of player Shipp is, but the junior wideout has been unstoppable in recent weeks. At the beginning of the season, Jelani Thurman was the focal point of the offense as the safety blanket.
As Billy Edwards Jr. has acclimated to the offense, he's built rapport with Shipp, who has eclipsed 100 receiving yards in two of the last four games. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound wideout wins at all three levels of the field, with elite route-running.
Stock Down
Billy Edwards Jr.
I know Edwards Jr. finished the game completing 27-of-44 passes for 271 yards and two touchdowns, but it's now gotten to the point where his struggles after the first quarter are becoming too much to overcome.
Edwards Jr. opened the game by completing his first 11 passes for 98 yards and one touchdown. However, as always, the six-year veteran struggled to string together multiple passes, culminating in the offense stalling for long stretches of the game. That contributed to the Tar Heels' collapse.
Melkart Abou Jaoude
Abou Jaoude is clearly hampered by the hand injury he suffered in the season opener against TCU. The 2025 ACC sack leader has been dormant in that department this season, with one total sack.
On Saturday night, the 6-foot-5, 260-pound edge rusher was marginalized, recording three total tackles. North Carolina's defensive line has disappointed the last few weeks, and Abou Jaoude's lackluster impact has been a major reason.
Jordan Washington
Washington has been irrelevant this season, but his stock is falling solely because of his dropped walk-in touchdown in the third quarter. He was bailed out by Demon June's 25-yard touchdown run the following play.
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