Tar Heels defensive lineman Raymond Vohasek makes the call on future at UNC

North Carolina defensive tackle Raymond Vohasek announced that he is returning to the Tar Heels for another year on Monday. Vohasek had the potential to go in the 2022 NFL Draft but the UNC defensive line will benefit greatly from his return.

“The last three years at Carolina have been truly special, giving me the opportunity to graduate from one of the top universities in the country, while playing and representing the university and the Tar Heel Nation,” Vohasek wrote. “Being at Carolina has given me the ability to play college football at an elite level and learn from an incredible football coaching staff.

“Coach Brown and Coach Cross have given me every opportunity and have helped me develop as a player and person. Playing next to my teammates has been the best part of this journey. After discussing it with my family, I have decided to come back to Carolina and play football for one more season. Let’s get this work! DLine Showtime!”

Run it back. pic.twitter.com/RKRZUTRVxE

— Ray Vohasek (@ray_vohasek) February 7, 2022

Ray Vohasek was a three-star prospect across the board coming out of McHenry East High in Illinois. He saw the field right away for UNC, recording a sack in his first season in 2019.

From his nose guard position, he posted 18 solo tackles this season, including a sack and three passes defended. The 6-foot-3, 300-pound lineman had 3.5 sacks in 2020.

NFL teams split on UNC quarterback Sam Howell

ESPN’s NFL analysts Jeremy Fowler and Todd McShay addressed their feelings on North Carolina star quarterback Sam Howell after his performance at the Senior Bowl Saturday.

Howell had a limited role, splitting time with Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe and Liberty’s Malik Willis. The potential first-round pick ended the day completing six of his nine passes for 67 yards as well as taking five carries for 29 yards and the American team’s lone touchdown of the afternoon.

Last season Howell threw for over 3,000 yards for the third-straight year under center in Chapel Hill. His yards and touchdowns were down significantly from the previous two years, but he compensated by doubling his rushing totals in 2021 taking 183 carries for 828 yards and 11 touchdowns when he was previously averaging 93 carries per season.

Todd McShay: One of two things tend to happen with Howell, and we saw a little of both this week. First, he can get lax with his feet on throws, not setting them and not driving off of his back foot — though he doesn’t necessarily need to with his arm strength. Second, he gets frenzied feet when he is going through progressions, where they aren’t married to his eyes.

After running an offense at UNC that featured a lot of run-pass options and deep rail shots, he will see more intermediate anticipatory throws than he’s used to in the NFL.

He didn’t have a ton of “wow” moments but he was more consistent than the other five. It was a good week for him and the arm strength showed. I had him over Ridder coming into the week and I came away feeling even better about that.

Jeremy Fowler: I got mixed feedback on Howell. Some scouts liked that he aggressively attacked downfield, completing a few darts that got their attention. Others thought he struggled. One AFC exec said he’s a borderline backup-level talent but could start if in the right situation.

On3’s Barkley Truax contributed to this report.