Mack Brown updates Ja'Qurious Conley's injury timeline

As North Carolina won its first three games of the season, it did so without Ja’Qurious Conley. The junior defensive back suffered a knee injury at the end of last season and is still working his way back — and Mack Brown addressed whether he’ll be available against Notre Dame on Saturday.

Conley still hasn’t practiced yet this year, according to Brown, and his return date is still unclear. He started 10 games last season, totaling 46 tackles and two interceptions before tearing his ACL and MCL. His return would be quite a boost for a UNC defense that’s allowing 37.7 points per game, but it sounds like Tar Heels fans will have to wait.

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“His earliest date was supposed to be this week, and he’s not going to play,” Brown told reporters. “Because I asked the question last Tuesday. I think he’s close, he’s getting better, but he has not practiced one day with us.

“So I would think we’re all still working back in to practice, so I’m not sure. … He’s doing well. But I think maybe it’s nine months this week, and that’s supposed to be the minimum time that you can have for his operation.”

Mack Brown update Don Chapman’s status

North Carolina safety Don Chapman is with the team and expected to play against Notre Dame, according to head coach Mack Brown. This comes after he missed the team’s Week 2 game against Georgia State, after being arrested on September 8th.

Chapman was arrested for domestic criminal trespassing, assault on a female, and misdemeanor battery of an unborn child. However, it was reported that the incident occurred when his pregnant girlfriend attempted suicide. He then took a gun away from her. It was then that the assault allegedly occurred. No injuries were reported.

Brown explained Chapman’s status during a press conference.

“Don Chapman will remain on the team,” Brown said. “He never left the team, but he did not travel to Georgia State.

“And, with the information that we’ve gathered over two weeks, we feel like that he should stay on the team, and he will play this weekend. If some other information comes up, obviously, that is different than what we’ve learned, then we would look at it closely and see if that changed the narrative.”