UNC Star Edge Rusher Earns ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week

North Carolina’s Melkart Abou-Jaoude has been named ACC Defensive Lineman of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.

Abou-Jaoude has been a menace off the edge to lead the Tar Heels as he posted a game-high six tackles to go along with 2.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and a forced fumble in North Carolina’s 27-10 victory over Syracuse.

The ACC’s sack leader is the Defensive Lineman of the Week! @Melkartaj 🔥 pic.twitter.com/Jqn5hr14O8
— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) November 3, 2025

Abou-Jaoude registered at least two sacks for the second consecutive game, pushing his season total to seven. That number leads the ACC and ranks among the top 10 nationally. He forced a pivotal fourth-quarter strip sack, which Smith Vilbert recovered to help North Carolina secure the victory.

Abou-Jaoude is the second Tar Heel to collect an ACC weekly award this season. Mikai Gbayor was named ACC Linebacker of the Week on Sept. 15 after a 41-6 victory over Richmond.

ACC weekly honors are chosen by a vote of a select media panel.

North Carolina returns to action Saturday against Stanford for Homecoming. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Kenan Stadium and the game will air on The CW.

From Unknown FCS Transfer to ACC’s Sack Leader

UNC — Delaware's Melkart Abou-Jaoude rushes the quarterback in the fourth quarter of the Blue Hens' 21-6 win against North Carolina A&T at Delaware Stadium, Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023. | William Bretzger/Delaware News Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK

Abou-Jaoude has experienced a remarkable rise this season, especially considering his unconventional path. He transferred to North Carolina from Delaware, a program that recently moved from the FCS to the FBS level. In 2024, Abou-Jaoude earned all-conference honorable mention honors, recording 24 tackles, 9.5 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and eight quarterback pressures. In 2023, he posted 25 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss and two sacks.

Remarkably, Abou-Jaoude’s opportunity at Delaware came only because he was noticed by a friend of Delaware head coach Ryan Carty.

Now, he has 25 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, five quarterback hits and a forced fumble. Against Syracuse on Friday night, he tallied two sacks and a forced fumble.

Defense’s Overall Improvement

UNC — Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Luke Carney (11) runs between North Carolina Tar Heels safety Gregory Smith III (12) and defensive back Jaiden Patterson (18) in the third quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

UNC’s defense was average at best during its first five games, allowing 25.8 points, 246.2 passing yards (ranking 100th nationally), 127 rushing yards and 373.2 total yards per game. The numbers were even worse against Power Four opponents — TCU, UCF and Clemson — with the Tar Heels surrendering 40 points, 465.3 total yards, 302 passing yards and 163.3 rushing yards per game.

That changed after the Clemson game. North Carolina has since emerged as one of the nation’s and ACC’s best defenses, holding opponents to an average of 16.6 points per game, 82.3 rushing yards, 151 passing yards and 233.3 total yards. If UNC had maintained those averages over eight games, the team would rank:

Fifth nationally in passing defense
Sixth in total yards allowed
No. 14 in rushing defense
Tied for No. 21 in scoring defense

UNC — Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) sacks Virginia Cavaliers quarterback Chandler Morris (4) in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina has posted 11 sacks over its last three games, with nine coming from Abou-Jaoude (five) and Tyler Thompson (four). Before Oct. 17, the Tar Heels had just six sacks through five games.

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