What the Snap Counts Reveal About UNC’s Loss to Cal

UNC’s 21-18 loss to Cal last Friday offered plenty to unpack, from the Tar Heels’ noticeable improvements on both sides of the ball.

Rameses | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

UNC’s 21-18 loss to Cal last Friday offered plenty to unpack, from the Tar Heels’ noticeable improvements on both sides of the ball to Bill Belichick’s curt postgame news conference.

UNC had several chances to win as Cal struggled to close out the game. But three turnovers—including Nathan Leacock’s late fumble near the end zone, which could have resulted in a game-winning touchdown—proved too costly to overcome.

One notable takeaway from the game was UNC’s snap count distribution. Several players logged more snaps than usual, providing valuable insight into which athletes coaches trust in critical situations. The shifts in playing time also offer a glimpse into who is rising on the depth chart and could play a bigger role in upcoming games.

Here is the snap breakdown of each player from North Carolina from its most recent game at

Offense (19 players played)

Quarterback

Gio Lopez (69 snaps)

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears head coach Justin Wilcox and North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick shake hands after the game at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Running Back

Davion Gause (32 snaps)

Benjamin Hall (26 snaps)

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels running back Benjamin Hall (28) celebrates his touchdown against the California Golden Bears in the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Demon June (10 snaps)

Jaylen McGill (1 snap)

Wide Receiver

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) celebrates with wide receiver Alex Taylor (0) and running back Caleb Hood (4) after making a touchdown catch in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jordan Shipp (63 snaps)

Kobe Paysour (55 snaps)

Nathan Leacock (23 snaps)

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Kobe Paysour (8) with the ball in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Shanard Clower (12 snaps)

Chris Culliver (18 snaps)

Tight End

Sep 1, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels tight end Jake Johnson (19) scores a touchdown as TCU Horned Frogs linebacker Max Carroll (33) defends in the third quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jordan Owens (41 snaps)

Jake Johnson (34 snaps)

Dec 3, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels mascot Rameses during the fourth quarter between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Connor Cox (24 snaps)

Shamar Easter (6 snaps)

Offensive Line

North Carolina offensive linemen Chad Lindbergh (69) and Daniel King (52) | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Right tackle — Jakai Moore (69 snaps)

Right guard — Daniel King (69 snaps)

Center — Chad Lindberg (69 snaps)

North Carolina offensive lineman Chad Lindbergh (Sept. 15, 2025) | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Left guard — Will O'Steen (69 snaps)

Left tackle — Austin Blaske (69 snaps)

Defense (23 players played)

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; California Golden Bears wide receiver QuaRon Adams (18) runs the ball against North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Jaiden Patterson (18) in the third quarter at California Memorial Stadium. | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Defensive Line

Leroy Jackson (34 snaps)

D'Antre Robinson (31 snaps)

North Carolina defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson making a tackle vs. Clemson; Oct. 4, 2025 | UNC Athletic Communications

Isaiah Johnson (31 snaps)

CJ Mims (24 snaps)

Outside Linebacker/EDGE

North Carolina Defensive End Melkart Abou-Jaoude | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Melkart Abou-Jaoude (67 snaps)

Smith Vilbert (43 snaps)

Tyler Thompson (22 snaps)

Joseph Mupoyi (9 snaps)

Inside Linebackers

Andrew Simpson (73 snaps)

Khmori House (42 snaps)

Mikai Gbayor (19 snaps)

Timir Hickman-Collins (18 snaps)

Cornerback

Marcus Allen (73 snaps)

Jaiden Patterson (66 snaps)

Tre Miller (18 snaps)

Jalon Thompson (5 snaps)

Khalil Conley (2 snaps)

Safety

Sep 6, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Gavin Gibson (5) yells out to his teammates during the second half against the Charlotte 49ers at Jerry Richardson Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Gavin Gibson (67 snaps)

Will Hardy (56 snaps)

Kaleb Cost (49 snaps)

Greg Smith (19 snaps)

Coleman Bryson (16 snaps)

• Kobe Paysour's 55 snaps are most of the season. Before that, it was 35 snaps.

• After having at least 25 snaps in his last three outings, freshman running back Demon June only had 10 snaps vs. Cal.

• Linebacker Khmori House left game due to illness.

• Defensive back Greg Smith logged his highest snap count of the season against Cal, marking his first meaningful action outside of garbage time.

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