Tar Heels Captain Countdown | North Carolina Tar Heel Football News

College football’s back, and UNC’s 2026 season kicks off Saturday with a noon showdown against TCU across the pond. After a dominant home win last year and a strong offseason recruiting haul, the Tar Heels have named seven captains to lead them: RB Benjamin Hall, OL Christo Kelly, WR Jordan Shipp on offense; and DE Melkart Abou-Jaoude, DB Kaleb Cost, DL Isaiah Johnson, and LB Derek McDonald on defense. With a new QB, a dynamic backfield, and a defense anchored by proven starters, these leaders are poised to steer UNC back to the top. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/5c6b2e2f92293266