The North Carolina Tar Heels have a roster filled with unknowns for the second fall camp in a row. As the program undergoes yet another significant change with roughly 60 new players added this offseason, there are bound to be concerns that fly under the radar.

At this point in the offseason, everything is purely a projection of who, what, and how the Tar Heels' depth chart will look. Transfers litter the offense with new starters, with numerous freshmen in the foreground, while the defense remains relatively the same outside of a couple of offseason additions.

An Area of the Trenches Not Often Discussed

Two of those additions come along the offensive line, with new projected starters right guard Andrew Threatt and right tackle Jacqawn McRoy. One of the inconsistencies with the Tar Heels' offense last fall was their offensive line, part of the many problems they suffered in a unit that finished 126th in scoring offense. There were too many penalties and a lack of physicality up front that needed to be solved.

While Threatt and McRoy are upgrades, the unit remains somewhat of an unknown outside of left guard Aidan Banfield, a favorite up front to earn All-ACC honors this fall. Left tackle Jordan Hall and center Christo Kelly must perform better this upcoming season with a new signal-caller under center.

Outside of having a great quarterback, the offensive line is the most critical part of everything within an offense. You should be building your roster inside out by starting in the trenches with quality tackles, suitable guards, and a terrific communicator and disciplined blocker at center. This is how you win football games in college and the NFL, and it works almost every time.

Tar Heels’ Offensive Line Remains an Unknown of Sorts

I believe it is fair to question the validity of the offensive line in Chapel Hill, especially after last season. Threatt is taking a major jump from Charleston Southern to Power 4 FBS football, while McRoy is getting his first snaps as a starter in Week 0 against the TCU Horned Frogs, a program that is expected to field a strong defense this fall. Everyone else is a returning player, but we're doing or projecting rather than solidifying.

All of the answers to whether or not the offensive line is formidable will be answered in the first few games of the season, including a matchup against National Championship favorite Notre Dame. If this front five can maintain its footing, it could be a much-improved campaign for North Carolina's offense.