As spring football practice nears for Carolina, the program announced jersey numbers for several early enrollees and transfers Monday morning.

Linebacker Noah Taylor, who joined Carolina after transferring from division rival Virginia, will notably take over the No. 7 jersey worn by Sam Howell from 2019 through 2021. On the defensive side, linebacker Eugene Asante previously donned No. 7 before transferring to Auburn in January.

Five-star freshmen Travis Shaw and Zach Rice will wear Nos. 4 and 55, respectively, while competing on the defenseive and offensive lines. Shaw will take over No. 4 after defensive back Trey Morrison wore it in 2021. Morrison has since graduated and transferred to Oklahoma. No Tar Heel wore Rice’s No. 55 in 2021. It was last worn in 2020 by Ty Murray, an offensive lineman who retired due to injury, and Clyde Pinder, a defensive lineman who transferred to South Florida.

Freshman running back George Pettaway will don the No. 23 jersey. While the most famous No. 23 in Carolina history played on the basketball court, the football program has honored another No. 23: Don McCauley, who starred at running back for the Tar Heels between 1968 and 1970. His school record of 21 touchdowns scored in a single season stood for 50 years before Javonte Williams broke it in 2020.

Freshman edge rusher Beau Atkinson will also wear an honored jersey: the No. 12 most famously worn by running back Ethan Horton between 1981 and 1984. Like McCauley before him, Horton was named to the All-ACC team and the conference’s Player of the Year.

UNC’s first day of spring practice is scheduled for Tuesday, March 1. The team’s spring game will be held on April 9 at 3 p.m. in Kenan Stadium.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications

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