What To Make of UNC's Safety Room After Week 1

The North Carolina Tar Heels have a lot to be excited about after their win last weekend against TCU to open up the college football season.

This is a program that helped head coach Bill Belichick earn his signature win for UNC Football, showcasing improved talent and more efficient play compared to last season, though that isn't saying much. Still, the Tar Heels' defense rebounded from a rough start to stop the Horned Frogs in their tracks on multiple fourth-down plays, including a tipped pass on a fourth down deep in North Carolina territory to set up the game-winning drive.

Smith UNC — Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive back Greg Smith (1) runs on the field against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

UNC Football's Defensive Backfield Gets Job Done

One of the things I was unclear about heading into the season was what the starting lineup for the Tar Heels' secondary would look like. We got our answer last week with Kaleb Cost, Jaiden Patterson, Tre Miller, Peyton Waters, and Greg Smith on the field for their opening defensive series.

Waters UNC — Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; North Carolina Tar Heels offensive lineman Andrew Threatt (75) and defensive back Peyton Waters (7) celebrate after the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The safety room might be one of the deepest on the roster with Smith, Waters, Coleman Bryson, Javion Butts, and true freshman safety Jakob Weatherspoon, who never saw the field for North Carolina against the Horned Frogs.

Smith looked to be in the strong safety/box role with Waters as the starting single-high/free safety. The two worked well together, as both looked adequate in coverage, though some of their angles with run fits against outside zone were tough to watch. Of course, North Carolina struggled to reel in TCU running back Jeremy Payne, who rushed for 142 and averaged nearly six yards per carry.

Payne UNC — Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; TCU Horned Frogs running back Jeremy Payne (26) runs the ball against the North Carolina Tar Heels in the first half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

However, midway through the third quarter, whether it was due to injury or a simple change in personnel, Bryson became the single-high safety in the lineup while Smith remained at strong safety. Belichick, the defensive play-caller in this game, was rotating his safeties across all three levels to create confusion for TCU quarterback Jaden Craig, and it mostly worked to perfection, limiting major explosive plays.

Bryson came in and seemed to make some of the most critical plays of the game; two tackles, a physical hit on a TCU receiver that jarred the ball lose for an incompletion, forcing Payne out of bounds to set up a fourth-down stop in the fourth quarter, and some may argue Bryson got a finger on the incomplete pass that "sailed" on the next-to-last game-deciding fourth down.

Bryson UNC — Oct 4, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Clemson Tigers wide receiver Bryant Wesco Jr. (12) attempts to catch a pass in the end zone as North Carolina Tar Heels defensive backs Coleman Bryson (16) and Marcus Allen (29) defend in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Smith was making good tackles from the box or coming downhill from depth. While he may be a leaner defender for someone in his role, Smith plays physically and made a couple of stops during the game. Waters also made plays from depth while closing off deeper route patterns on the backend.

Tar Heels Have Safety Room They Can Trust (for Now)

Belichick UNC — Aug 29, 2026; Dublin, Co. Dublin, IRL; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick against the TCU Horned Frogs in the first half at Aviva Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Laszlo Geczo-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Overall, I was impressed with the Tar Heels' safeties in Week 0. This group will rotate players in and out of the game thanks to the depth and talent that Belichick has added and developed over the past two seasons, including this year. For now, Smith, Waters, and Bryson showcased their value to North Carolina's secondary this past Saturday, and from Week 2 on, they could help the defense limit big plays with better offensive play, based on what I saw.

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