UNC Snap Count Analysis: Biggest Winners, Losers From Week 5

While the North Carolina Tar Heels were heavy underdogs on Saturday, losing to the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 37-26 was still a disappointing result.

Despite falling behind 21-7 early in the second quarter, the Tar Heels dug out of the hole and gave the Fighting Irish everything they could handle by the third quarter. However, North Carolina was ultimately physically outmatched at the line of scrimmage. After the Week 4 bye, it would be interesting to see what the snap percentages would look like on both sides of the ball.

Sep 19, 2026; Clemson, South Carolina, USA; University of North Carolina Tar Heels running back Demon June (0) runs the ball down field late in the first quarter against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ashley Tumlin-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

With that in mind, here are the biggest winners and losers based on the snaps and what it means moving forward.

Winners

CJ Sadler

North Carolina's offense was on the field for 52 snaps, and the freshman receiver missed one. That's noteworthy, considering Sadler was suspended in Week 3 following an off-field incident. The 5-foot-9, 190-pound receiver caught one pass for 13 yards, despite playing nearly 100 percent of snaps, which is disappointing. Nevertheless, Sadler not missing a single snap indicates his role will be substantial moving forward.

Jaiden Patterson

Oct 3, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Nolan James Jr. (2) socres a touchdown as North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Jaiden Patterson (18) defends in the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Since Notre Dame dominated the time of possession, the Tar Heels' defense was on the field for 77 snaps. Patterson led the unit with 71 snaps. The veteran defensive back made several plays on Saturday, but he was exposed in coverage at times. Nonetheless, Patterson is one of the most important pieces on this defense.

Losers

Trech Kekahuna

Kekahuna has been on a quick downhill trajectory since the season opener. The Wisconsin transfer receiver logged 28 snaps on Saturday. He's been demoted to a rotational receiver, which wasn't the expectation when he followed Billy Edwards Jr. from Wisconsin to North Carolina. It's even more concerning that Bill Belichick gave Sadler all the snaps. It shows his lack of trust in Kekahuna.

Melkart Abou Jaoude

I want to preface by saying that I'm not concerned in the slightest about Abou Jaoude, even though he is listed as a "loser" based on the snap count. The 2025 ACC sack leader was on the field for 42 snaps. That doesn't mean the coaching staff suddenly views him as a liability. That said, it could indicate that he's still not 100 percent healthy, which is problematic at this point of the season.

Abou Jaoude may never play fully healthy this season. Maybe the coaching staff viewed this game as an unlikely win and didn't want to risk further injury to Abou Jaoude's hand. On the other hand, this was a one-point game in the third quarter. Week 6 will reveal where Abou Jaoude stands health-wise.

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