UNC’s offensive line gains five-man cohesion, but its depth still threatens the TCU opener
North Carolina has spent months building continuity among its projected starters after last season’s line struggled. Bill Belichick sees better communication and recognition, yet only one reserve has meaningful experience. The opener will test whether the progress travels beyond the first five.
AUG 22, 2026
Offensive-line returnees North Carolina brings back this season.
Combined starts made last season by four returning linemen.
Starts those four returners made together last season.
01 · The NewsWhat Happened
Head coach Bill Belichick said Friday that North Carolina’s offensive line has made major progress in communication, recognition and shared execution as training camp closes. The Tar Heels are preparing for TCU with Christo Kelly, Aidan Banfield, Jordan Hall, Eidan Buchanan and transfers Andrew Threatt and Shaq McRoy in the main group. Hall and McRoy are expected to handle the tackle spots, while Threatt and Banfield are expected to lead at guard. Kelly appears set for center. Belichick said the projected starters have worked together since the beginning of spring ball and have continued building their connection away from practice. The group had no starts together among four returning players last season, so this is a new level of continuity for the unit.
02 · The StakesWhy This One Matters
The scale of the repair shows up in the experience math. Four returning linemen combined for only 10 starts last season, and none of those starts came as a shared unit. North Carolina has added two winter transfers, Andrew Threatt from Charleston Southern and Shaq McRoy from Arkansas, to form a projected starting five that has had months together rather than weeks. Kelly is entering his seventh year of college football, which gives the center spot an older presence. Buchanan appeared in 10 games last year and is the one reserve named with meaningful game experience. That distinction matters because the first five may be improving while the next five still aren’t ready for the same workload.
03 · The Detail Beneath the HeadlineWhat Most People Are Missing
The part easy to miss is that continuity has solved one problem while leaving another exposed. North Carolina’s line needed to stop five players from processing five different pictures, and camp appears to have helped there. It still has to survive the first injury, rotation or protection breakdown without a proven replacement group behind it. Buchanan’s experience is useful, but the sources do not identify another reserve with a comparable résumé. A line can communicate well and still become a different unit when one piece leaves. That second version of the group hasn’t been tested in public yet.
“North Carolina’s offensive line has made the right kind of progress, but the proof won’t be the coaches hearing cleaner talk in August.”
The Wire Desk04 · The PersonnelNext Man Up
North Carolina’s first five have a clear projected shape: Hall and McRoy at tackle, Threatt and Banfield at guard, and Kelly at center. The backup picture is less settled. Buchanan is the only reserve identified with notable game action after appearing in 10 games last season. The program has not announced a full second-unit depth chart. That leaves two separate evaluations for the opener. The first is whether the projected starters can handle TCU without a personnel change. The second is whether the replacement plan can hold together if one of them cannot. If Buchanan has to enter, his ability to preserve the communication gains will matter more than a single block in isolation. If another reserve is needed, the lack of named experience becomes a direct roster concern. The next depth chart or game rotation should show whether camp progress belongs to the position group or only to the starting five.
05 · The ChessboardWhat the Coaches Can Actually Change
The likeliest coaching lever is the look each side gives the line before the snap. Belichick has used different defensive looks in practice to force the offense to identify fronts and pressure pictures, and he called that work productive. For the line, the test is plain. Before the snap, the five must sort the front together. After the trigger, the center and guards must pass the call cleanly while the tackles keep their assignments intact. Projection: North Carolina may favor a steady starting group and limit early rotation so the communication remains intact. If TCU creates confusion with movement or pressure, the staff may have to simplify the protection menu. That could help the line play faster, but it would also tell opponents that the unit’s comfort depends on seeing familiar pictures.
06 · The ThesisThe Pate State Read
North Carolina’s offensive line has made the right kind of progress, but the proof won’t be the coaches hearing cleaner talk in August. It’ll be the first TCU pressure package that changes the picture after the snap. Hall, McRoy, Threatt, Banfield and Kelly have had months to build the calls and reactions that last year’s group never built together. That deserves credit. So does Belichick’s decision to challenge them with different looks instead of letting camp become a five-man comfort drill. The concern sits one layer behind the starters. Only Buchanan is named as a proven reserve, and a clean starting unit can lose its identity quickly when an unfamiliar player enters. North Carolina has improved its first answer. The opener will test the second one.
07 · The Watch ListWhat We're Watching
Does the projected five open together against TCU?
A full-game start by Hall, McRoy, Threatt, Banfield and Kelly would confirm that camp continuity carried into the opener. An early change would put the depth concern on the field immediately.
How often does North Carolina rotate Buchanan?
A planned rotation would suggest the staff trusts more than five linemen. No meaningful rotation would show how heavily the offense depends on keeping the starting group intact.
Can the line handle changing defensive looks?
Belichick has used different looks in practice to test identification and communication. The opener will show whether those gains survive when the front and pressure picture shift for real.