Mack Brown reveals who's playing in their last games at UNC in Holiday Bowl

Although some North Carolina players are getting ready to move on from the program, a few will still be on the field Wednesday night in the Holiday Bowl against Oregon. Mack Brown went down the list and confirmed which players leaving the program will participate in the game.

Multiple UNC players are getting ready to leave via the transfer portal, but Brown said they were given the opportunity to play in the bowl game. He also pointed out which players would be hanging up their cleats after the matchup, as well.

“We have some graduates that are going to play in the game, and that’ll be the last game that they will play with us,” Brown said. “Antoine Green will, obviously, play in the game and then go to the NFL. Brian Anderson has done a great job for us. This will be his last game. Ed Montilus has decided that this will be his last game. he’s had enough football, so he will play and then go into the real world. Obi Egbuna … he’ll play in his last game and move forward. Jahlil Taylor’s playing in his last game. All these guys are graduates, and I think Jahlil’s going to go ahead and play somewhere else if he can.

“Dontae Balfour, Kendall Karr, Dontavius Nash and Keeshawn Silver are playing in the game and they’re in the transfer portal, so they will transfer. We allowed the guys to play in the game that have done everything right to help us get to the game. If they want to transfer to get more playing time, I totally understand that, and they have been great. They’ve worked really hard. They’ve prepared to help us prepare to win the game.”

Mack Brown previews the potential for a high-scoring Holiday Bowl

When North Carolina and Oregon square off Wednesday in the San Diego County Credit Union Holiday Bowl, it will be Tar Heels head coach Mack Brown’s sixth time coaching in the Holiday Bowl. The Holiday Bowl has historically been one of the more high-scoring bowl games year in and year out, as Brown spoke on the offensive potential in this year’s edition.

“I think it’s unbelievable. Both defenses hear how great the offenses are going to be, so they’re both mad coming into the game. They think nobody gives them a chance, so that means those defenses will fight hard,” Brown said.

Both teams boast two of the nation’s top 15 offenses in terms of total yards and passing yards per game, so much so that each other their offensive coordinators have moved on and taken promotions elsewhere.

“Both of us lost our offensive coordinators, so that’s unique,” Brown said. “We’ll have Lonnie Galloway calling our plays, who has never called a play in a ball game, so it will be interesting as we look at it, but both have really good skill, and both can run.”