The North Carolina Tar Heels football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the North Carolina Tar Heels football program in various categories.[1] [2] These categories include passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, all-purpose yardage, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Tar Heels represent University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the NCAA 's Atlantic Coast Conference.
Although North Carolina began competing in intercollegiate football in 1888,[1] the school's official record generally does not include statistics from before the 1940s, as records from earlier years are often incomplete and inconsistent.
These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:
Since 1940s, seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and then 12 games in length. The NCAA didn't allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers. Bowl games only began counting toward single-season and career statistics in 2002.[3] These lists are updated through North Carolina's game against Duke on November 11, 2023 . Note that the NCAA does not officially recognize statistics for Hakeem Nicks and Deunta Williams, who were implicated in the scandal that caused the Tar Heels to retroactively forfeit all wins in the 2008 and 2009 seasons. However, the full stats of these players are listed in the school's media guide,[4] and also here. The NCAA continues to recognize statistics from those seasons amassed by players who were not implicated in the scandal.
Passing Passing yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Sam Howell 10,283[5] 2019 2020 2021 2 T. J. Yates 9,377 2007 2008 2009 2010 3 Darian Durant 8,755 2001 2002 2003 2004 4 Bryn Renner 8,221 2010 2011 2012 2013 5 Drake Maye 8,018[6] 2021 2022 2023 6 Marquise Williams 7,965 2012 2013 2014 2015 7 Ronald Curry 4,987 1998 1999 2000 2001 8 Mitch Trubisky 4,752[7] 2014 2015 2016 9 Jason Stanicek 4,683 1991 1992 1993 1994 10 Mike Thomas 4,368 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Drake Maye 4,321[6] 2022 2 Mitch Trubisky 3,748 2016 3 Sam Howell 3,641[5] 2019 4 Drake Maye 3,608 2023 5 Sam Howell 3,586[5] 2020 6 T. J. Yates 3,418 2010 7 Bryn Renner 3,356 2012 8 Bryn Renner 3,086 2011 9 Marquise Williams 3,072 2015 10 Marquise Williams 3,068 2014
Passing touchdowns Rushing Rushing yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Amos Lawrence 4,391 1977 1978 1979 1980 2 Mike Voight 3,971 1973 1974 1975 1976 3 Leon Johnson 3,693 1993 1994 1995 1996 4 Michael Carter 3,403 2017 2018 2019 2020 5 Kelvin Bryant 3,267 1979 1980 1981 1982 6 Don McCauley 3,172 1968 1969 1970 7 Ethan Horton 3,074 1981 1982 1983 1984 8 Natrone Means 3,074 1990 1991 1992 9 Charlie Justice 2,634 1946 1947 1948 1949 10 Elijah Hood 2,580[22] 2014 2015 2016
Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Don McCauley 1,720 1970 2 Omarion Hampton 1,504[23] 2023 3 Elijah Hood 1,463 2015 4 Mike Voight 1,407 1976 5 Giovani Bernard 1,253 2011 6 Mike Voight 1,250 1975 Derrick Fenner 1,250 1986 8 Ethan Horton 1,247 1984 9 Michael Carter 1,245 2020 10 Giovani Bernard 1,228 2012
Rushing touchdowns Receiving Receptions Receiving yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Ryan Switzer 2,907[26] 2013 2014 2015 2016 2 Hakeem Nicks 2,840 2006 2007 2008 3 Quinshad Davis 2,614 2012 2013 2014 2015 4 Josh Downs 2,483 2020 2021 2022 5 Corey Holliday 2,447 1990 1991 1992 1993 6 Dazz Newsome 2,435 2017 2018 2019 2020 7 Octavus Barnes 2,398 1994 1995 1996 1997 8 Dyami Brown 2,306[38] 2018 2019 2020 9 Sam Aiken 2,205 1999 2000 2001 2002 10 Dwight Jones 2,163 2008 2009 2010 2011
Receiving touchdowns Single game Rank Player TDs Years Opponent 1 Chesley Borders 4 2002 Arizona State
Total offense Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[44]
Total offense yards Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Sam Howell 11,292 [5] 2019 2020 2021 2 Marquise Williams 10,423 2012 2013 2014 2015 3 Darian Durant 9,630 2001 2002 2003 2004 4 Drake Maye 9,227 [6] 2021 2022 2023 5 T. J. Yates 9,044 2007 2008 2009 2010 6 Bryn Renner 8,128 2010 2011 2012 2013 7 Ronald Curry 6,236 1998 1999 2000 2001 8 Jason Stanicek 5,497 1991 1992 1993 1994 9 Mitch Trubisky 5,191 [7] 2014 2015 2016 10 Mike Thomas 4,653 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995
Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Drake Maye 5,019 [6] 2022 2 Drake Maye 4,057 2023 3 Mitch Trubisky 4,056 [7] 2016 4 Marquise Williams 4,020 2015 5 Sam Howell 3,884 [5] 2021 6 Marquise Williams 3,856 2014 7 Sam Howell 3,732 [5] 2020 8 Sam Howell 3,676 [5] 2019 9 Bryn Renner 3,394 2012 10 T. J. Yates 3,341 2010
Touchdowns responsible for In official NCAA records, "touchdowns responsible for" includes rushing and passing touchdowns, but not receptions or returns—the same statistical categories used to measure total offense.[49]
All-purpose yardage All-purpose yardage is the sum of all yards credited to a player who is in possession of the ball. It includes rushing, receiving, and returns, but does not include passing.[50]
North Carolina's media guide fully lists career and single-season leaders in all-purpose yards, but does not break down their performances by type of play. It only lists the single-game leader, but does fully break down his performance.
Career Rank Player Yards Years 1 Leon Johnson 5,828 1993 1994 1995 1996 2 Don McCauley 5,014 1968 1969 1970 3 Amos Lawrence 4,928 1977 1978 1979 1980 4 T. J. Logan 4,926 2013 2014 2015 2016 5 Brandon Tate 4,744 2005 2006 2007 2008 6 Michael Carter 4,710 2017 2018 2019 2020 7 Charlie Justice 4,670 1946 1947 1948 1949 8 Mike Voight 4,472 1973 1974 1975 1976 9 Eric Blount 4,391 1988 1989 1990 1991 10 Ryan Switzer 4,135 2013 2014 2015 2016
Single season Rank Player Yards Year 1 Don McCauley 2,021 1970 2 Giovani Bernard 1,981 2012 3 Leon Johnson 1,832 1996 4 Don McCauley 1,770 1969 5 Brandon Tate 1,765 2007 6 Omarion Hampton 1,726[23] 2023 7 James Betterson 1,647 1974 8 Giovani Bernard 1,615 2011 9 T. J. Logan 1,584 2016 10 Charlie Justice 1,557 1946
Single game Rank Player Yards Years Opponent 1 Brandon Tate 397 2009 McNeese State
Defense Interceptions Single game Rank Player Ints Years Opponent 1 Don Jackson 4 1935 Tennessee
Tackles Career Rank Player Tackles Years 1 not listed in media guide
Sacks Kicking Field goals made Single game Rank Player FGs Years Opponent 1 Josh McGee 6 1999 Duke Noah Burnette 6 2023 Duke
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