Which UNC athletes will be the Tar Heels’ best in 2024?
A new year has arrived, and it’s time to look at some athletes who could thrive for the North Carolina Tar Heels in 2024.
UNC’s field hockey team provided the top highlight in 2023, winning a national championship for the fifth time in six seasons. The Tar Heels got it done in 2023 with first-year coach Erin Matson, who won four titles as a player before becoming the youngest coach in the NCAA.
Representing six sports, here’s a look at 11 UNC standouts who are primed to make headlines in 2024 as the top Tar Heels on campus.
Armando Bacot, UNC basketball
The fifth-year senior’s career is winding down, but Bacot will leave Chapel Hill as one of the Tar Heels’ all-time greats. Earlier this season, Bacot said he puts an “asterisk” beside some of his statistical achievements, but he’s most proud of owning UNC’s rebounding record. As far as team success, Bacot is experiencing his best season as a Tar Heel since UNC’s run to the 2022 Final Four.
RJ Davis, UNC basketball
Often overlooked because of his size, Davis has become one of the most consistent guards in the nation and could be in line to wrap up his senior season as an All-American. Davis has upped his scoring average in each season with the Tar Heels. Like Bacot, Davis would love nothing more than ending his career with an ACC championship and run to the national title.
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David Ford, UNC golf
A junior from Georgia, Ford is the first golfer in UNC history to be named ACC Player of the Year. As it stands, Ford’s 70.22 career scoring average is the best in program history. In 2023, Ford helped the United States win the Walker Cup and Palmer Cup as one of the deciding golfers on the team. He also made his PGA Tour debut in 2023 at the Barbasol Championship, where he made the cut by two shots and finished tied for 58th. Ford is expected to be a contender for the national title.
Omarion Hampton, UNC football
In an up-and-down 2023 season for the Tar Heels, Hampton was as consistent as any player on the roster with a sophomore leap that saw him become one of the top running backs in the nation. Hampton finished with 1,504 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns on 253 carries as the top back in the ACC. With quarterback Drake Maye heading to the NFL, Hampton will likely be the focal point of UNC’s offense in 2024.
Ryleigh Heck, UNC field hockey
Named the 2023 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I National Player of the Year, Heck led the Tar Heels to their 11th NCAA championship. She led UNC in scoring with 34 points on 13 goals and eight assists, and scored the game-winning goal in the sudden death penalty shootout at the national championship game. She also had the deciding goal in the ACC championship.
Vance Honeycutt, UNC baseball
Named a preseason All-America by Perfect Game, Honeycutt is coming off a sophomore season that saw him become the first Tar Heel to win the ACC Defensive Player of the Year award. He logged a .910 OPS with 43 RBIs and 12 home runs. He finished third in the ACC in walks (49) and fourth in steals (19). Honeycutt is sixth on MLB.com’s list of 2024 prospects.
Deja Kelly, UNC basketball
After averaging a team-high 16.5 points as a junior, Kelly is averaging 14.1 points and a career-high 1.7 steals in her senior season. She’s the top guard for a team that expects to contend for the ACC title.
Kaimon Rucker, UNC football
Rucker finished third in the ACC with 8½ sacks this season. His return in 2024 should boost a new-look defense under recently-hired coordinator Geoff Collins. Rucker had a career-high 56 tackles, including 14 for loss, and earned All-ACC honors.
Alyssa Utsby, UNC basketball
Utsby made headlines recently after recording the first triple-double in program history, but she’s been UNC’s best all-around player so far. In her senior season, Utsby is averaging 12.7 points, 9.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. If the Tar Heels are going to make noise in March, Utsby will be a big reason why.
Jackson Van De Brake, UNC baseball
An All-ACC infielder, Van De Brake went from a JUCO star to a standout for the Tar Heels. He led the team in on-base percentage (.439) and had 20 multi-hit games last season.
Aranza Vazquez, UNC diving
An Olympic athlete, Vazquez won two medals at the 2023 World Aquatic Championships and became the first diver in UNC history to win a national championship. As a junior, she won the 2023 NCAA 1-meter and 3-meter springboard championships.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Armando Bacot, other UNC athletes to watch in 2024
