North Carolina 2026 Football Top 30 Countdown: No. 11

Earlier this week, we learned that the North Carolina Tar Heels will begin training camp on July 30, exactly two weeks from today.

Obviously, the Tar Heels didn't achieve what they had planned for last season, and quite frankly, came nowhere close to the expectations following Bill Belichick's hire. North Carolina compiled a 4-8 record, failing to qualify for bowl eligibility for the first time since 2018.

That season-long output led to major changes across the coaching staff and personnel, including moving on from former offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens. Belichick quickly identified his top option, hiring former Arkansas interim head coach Bobby Petrino. Following spring practices, the offensive coordinator highlighted the quarterback position and the importance of developing those players.

Petrino's Thoughts

Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino on the sidelines during a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Oct. 11, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"I think it's been good. We came in, and it's a little bit different now than sometimes in the older days because you get so many transfers coming in at midyear," Petrino said. "The rules have changed a little bit where you get to work with them eight hours a week in the offseason, and then you've got spring ball, which is 20 hours a week. Then we'll come back again in the summer and get to do it again, and then we go to camp."

"I've kind of always felt like I've never believed that, 'OK, this is our offense, this is what we do. We're going to install the offense.' That'll end up being four times," Petrino continued. "I feel like it's our job to mold the offense around what the quarterback does best, hide what he doesn't do best, and how we use the different weapons that we have out there with the running backs, tight ends and receivers."

Arkansas interim coach Bobby Petrino during a college football game between Tennessee and Arkansas at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee on Oct. 11, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

"So, it's been fun to watch them learn it and understand that the first thing they have to do is be perfect in the run game," Petrino elaborated. "As a quarterback, one of the things that makes your job easier is to be really good in the run game and then understand the protections and make sure you get yourself protected."

"Once you can do those two things, then it comes down to just using the skills that God gave you and the ability that you have," Petrino explained. "So, we've been working really hard on knowing the run game, knowing the defenses, understanding protections, getting ourselves protected."

Assessing North Carolina Heading Into Training Camp

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Heading into training camp, there are certainly more questions than answers pertaining to this coaching staff and roster. However, the Tar Heels' front office has done a great job of strengthening several spots of the roster through the transfer portal and recruiting class.

Those acquisitions and additions to the roster are essentially unknown commodities, as we have yet to see how those pieces fit together. That is why training camp is so crucial for North Carolina. Obviously, the quarterback competition between Billy Edwards Jr., Travis Burgess, and Miles O'Neill will be the top storyline to keep tabs on, but there are several narratives that will materialize.

With that being said, over the last several weeks, we have compiled a list of the top 30 players on the Tar Heels' 2026-27 roster. As we near the top 10, today we reveal who comes in at No. 11 on this list.

North Carolina Top 30 Players: No. 11 C Christo Kelly

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Christo Kelly (53) takes the field before the game against the California Golden Bearsat California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

You may have been wondering why I brought up the Tar Heels' quarterback situation and probably assumed I meant this player would fill that position. However, as Petrino stated, identifying protections and understanding blitz signals falls on the quarterback's shoulders, but that responsibility is extended to the offensive line.

Kelly has proven to be a stabilizer on the front line for the Tar Heels after transferring from Holy Cross after the 2024 season. As a graduate transfer, the 6-foot-4, 305-pound center's experience will be crucial for the starting quarterback. Kelly is one of the smartest individuals on this roster, and with three new quarterbacks entering the program and a completely different system with Petrino at offensive coordinator, having a solidified center is monumental.

In 2025, North Carolina's offensive line was in flux, which is why the front office aggressively pursued as many options as possible in the transfer portal. However, Kelly was one of the few pieces in protection who consistently held up against pressure and suffocated gaps in the interior.

In the 2024 transfer portal, the veteran interior offensive lineman was one of the highest-graded prospects, and North Carolina's ability to land him during that window turned out to be an incredible acquisition.

Kelly's Importance

Dec 28, 2013; Charlotte, NC, USA; A North Carolina Tar Heels helmet lays on the field prior to the start of the game against the Cincinnati Bearcats in the Belk Bowl at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With North Carolina's quarterback situation still being sorted out, it is crucial that the team's pass protection is sufficient to make life comfortable for the eventual starter, who will be named in the next month or so.

If Burgess wins the starting job, Kelly's job becomes even more important, as the 4-star recruit will be a true freshman stepping in. Having a center who can assist in diagnosing blitzes and adjusting protection is an incredible asset. If Edwards Jr. or O'Neill earns the job, neither player is very mobile, which underscores the importance of the offensive line providing a clean pocket.

Regardless, the Tar Heels' success is contingent on quarterback play, and with poor protection, it is difficult for any quarterback to operate, let alone the options at their disposal this season. We have discussed several times this offseason that while many responsibilities lie at the feet of the quarterback, and rightfully so, those tasks cannot be completed if the protection up front is inept.

I have been overly impressed with how North Carolina's front office rebuilt the offensive line in one offseason, and while those acquisitions will steal the headlines, retaining Kelly will prove to be one of the most important developments over the last few months. The Tar Heels want a well-balanced offense, and for that to happen, the passing and rushing attacks need to cohesively come together, which reflects the offensive line.

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