UNC Football Trenches May Be Biggest Key to Program Turnaround

There's a phrase in history that goes, "Everything begins in the trenches." It holds true in football, a sport that demands unreal grit and work ethic to build a successful team capable of winning championships. The trenches are the most important aspect of roster-building at each level of the sport—high school, college, and professional.

If either or both the offensive line and defensive fronts are underwhelming at best, your team won't win a lot of football games. For the North Carolina Tar Heels under former longtime NFL head coach Bill Belichick, who enters a monumental second season at Chapel Hill, building strong trenches could lead to success once more for the program.

North Carolina Makes Improvements to Offensive, Defensive Lines

Belichick UNc — UNC football coach Bill Belichick during a press conference on Nov. 25, 2025, inside the Kenan Football Center. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

I maintain the aforementioned belief that everything in roster construction begins with a fortified offensive line and an attack, no-holds-barred defensive line that can give my franchise or program a chance to compete on Saturdays or Sundays. When I look at the Tar Heels' trenches, I see the potential to be both, but this is mainly based on what is on paper, not necessarily what the tape has shown in the past.

The star of North Carolina's trenches is edge rusher Melkart Abou-Jaoude, maybe the best player on the roster and a defender who is coming off a 10-plus-sack season in 2025. The Tar Heels were inconsistent outside of Abou-Jaoude, especially because of a lack of continuity up front due to injuries or bad penalties that cost the offense precious yardage that was hard to come by. North Carolina did finish 118th in points per game last fall, which is unacceptable no matter what.

MAJ UNC — Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Joseph Filardi (13) loses a fumble on a tackle by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude (9) in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

There is more size up front for the Tar Heels' offensive line in 2026, as both left tackle Jordan Hall and right tackle JacQawn McRoy are listed at 6-foot-8, 330-plus pounds each—talk about becoming a stone wall on the edges. The unit's interior provides some size, led by standout guard Aidan Banfield. By all accounts, it feels like Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino made this group better.

Defensively, there is still a question as to who the No. 2 edge rusher is opposite Abou-Jaoude. However, the interior with Leroy Jackson, Isaiah Johnson, and Tarvorise Brown is expected to be a strong unit overall. This begs the question of whether the trenches have improved enough to help North Carolina better its win-loss record.

Questions Remain About UNC Football Trenches

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; TV analyst Bill Belichick watches the Miami Hurricanes play the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

I believe it has potential, though there is still some fairness in anyone who remains uneasy about this group. The Tar Heels don't have the room to be given any benefit of the doubt, and until they do, questions will stay in place unless proven otherwise on the field. I'm confident, though, that North Carolina did what they were supposed to this offseason to improve their trenches and make it a respectable unit that the program can lean on and be proud of.

We'll learn a lot about the trenches for North Carolina in Week 0 against a quality TCU Horned Frogs program coming off back-to-back nine-win seasons. The offensive and defensive fronts are two of the most important keys to the program's success in 2026.

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