Head coach Mack Brown and the UNC football team got some good news Monday morning. Defensive lineman Ray Vohasek, who originally intended to leave school after the 2021 season and enter the NFL Draft, announced he would be returning for the 2022 season.
“I’m super excited to be back in Chapel Hill,” Vohasek said Monday. “And I’m really excited about what this defense has, and what my room has with the young guys.”
Vohasek has started at defensive tackle for UNC in 24 of its last 25 games, and is a two-time All-ACC Honorable Mention honoree. He recorded 38 tackles, a sack, four tackles for loss and three pass break-ups in 2021. One of his more memorable highlights came in UNC’s upset win over No. 9 Wake Forest, when Vohasek batted down a pass from Demon Deacons quarterback Sam Hartman on fourth down during Carolina’s comeback.
However, Vohasek revealed he played through pain during the season.
“It was a funky injury. It was tough to deal with,” he said. “It was a decent amount of pain, I’ll say that.”
Vohasek also said he recently had surgery to fix the issue, and while his recovery will keep him out of spring practice, UNC expects him back for summer workouts.
Vohasek’s return gives a boost to a defensive line room which should be among the more talented personnel groups for the Tar Heels in 2022. Joining him in the trenches will be All-ACC second teamer Myles Murphy, rising sophomore Jahvaree Ritzie, and five-star freshman Travis Shaw. They’ll be tasked with rejuvenating a UNC rushing defense which was embarrassed in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against South Carolina.
“The way the bowl game went, the way some of the things went at the end of the season, it’s the best motivation,” Vohasek said. “When you feel that pain, that disappointment, because we had such high expectations.”
The team’s spring game is scheduled for April 9, while the 2022 regular season gets underway August 27 against Florida A&M in Kenan Stadium.
Featured image via 247 Sports
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our biweekly newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Carolina ConundrumThere is no question Mike Lombardi will lose his job as football general manager and leave Chapel Hill, writes Art Chansky.
UNC Football Ramping Up Intensity as Fall Training Camp Hits 1-Week MarkThursday morning marked one week of UNC’s fall training camp, and head coach Bill Belichick said the team has been steadily ramping up the intensity of its sessions. Wednesday was the Tar Heels’ first day of practice in pads, as the “acclimation period” portion of camp comes to an end. “The competition really starts this […]
UNC Defensive Coordinator Steve Belichick on Medical Leave, Father Bill SaysUNC defensive coordinator Steve Belichick is away from the program on medical leave, head coach Bill Belichick said Thursday at the Kenan Football Center. Steve Belichick had been scheduled to address the media last Thursday following the Tar Heels’ first practice of fall camp, but did not appear at the podium. Bill Belichick said the […]
Chansky's Notebook: The One Who Got AwayMack Brown was a very good football coach. His father was a high school coach in Tennessee, and his older brother Watson preceded him into mid-major positions. The peripatetic Brown held nine assistant jobs and one as a head coach in 15 years before he was 35. That included being the athletic director at Tulane […]
Taking Advantage of Court Ruling, UNC Kicker Rece Verhoff Returns to ProgramKicker Rece Verhoff is returning to the UNC football program and plans to play in the 2026 season, taking advantage of a recent court ruling from U.S. District Judge Charlotte Sweeney which granted a fifth year of eligibility to athletes who graduated high school in 2022. Welcome back Rece Verhoff pic.twitter.com/Fwk0Z4PeNB — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) […]
Shaquille O'Neal Featured Among 2026 Performers for Chapel Thrill Concert SeriesUNC has announced its setlist for the 2026 Chapel Thrill Concert Series. The series is part of the school’s “Chapel Thrill Game Day,” which debuted in 2025. The concerts are the centerpiece of the festivities, with the stage located on Polk Place in front of Wilson Library in the heart of the UNC campus. Each […]
Amid Cloud of Uncertainty, UNC Football Opens 2026 Fall Training CampUNC took the field in Chapel Hill Thursday morning to open its fall training camp. Despite prognostications of doom and a gamut of negative press, it appears the Tar Heels will, in fact, play football in 2026. The bizarre headlines trickling out of the Kenan Football Center had no doubt cast a pall over things: […]
Belichick Mum on Michael Lombardi Situation, While UNC Chancellor Vows Investigation Will 'Fix It'UNC head coach Bill Belichick addressed the media at the Kenan Football Center as the Tar Heels opened their fall training camp Thursday morning. It was Belichick’s first public appearance since the university announced Monday that general manager Michael Lombardi was being put on paid administrative leave for what is being reported as an HR […]
'Nobody Likes to Lose': UNC Football Motivated by Frustrations of 2025 SeasonThe 2025 football season saw UNC end on a three-game losing streak. That in itself is, unfortunately for the Tar Heels, not entirely unique: Carolina lost three straight to end the 2024 and 2023 seasons and closed out the 2022 season on an ugly four-game slide. But it was the way in which the Tar […]
'Go Heels, Through and Through': UNC Football Speaks at the 2026 ACC KickoffMembers of the UNC football team spoke to the media at the ACC Kickoff event in Charlotte Friday. Head coach Bill Belichick, receiver Jordan Shipp, offensive lineman Christo Kelly and defensive end Melkart Abou-Jaoude addressed several topics, including the upcoming season and last year’s difficult campaign. Below are highlights from Friday’s media session: Melkart Abou-Jaoude […]
›
