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CHAPEL HILL — The key pieces keep returning for North Carolina’s next football season.
Veteran defender Tomon Fox has chosen to use the extra year of college eligibility waiver made available by the NCAA, with the senior outside linebacker saying he will stay on to play for the Tar Heels in 2021, his sixth season in the program.
Fox led North Carolina with seven quarterback sacks and 10½ tackles for lost yardage this past season. He supplied five tackles and a sack of Texas A&M’s Kellen Mond as the Tar Heels lost in the Orange Bowl last weekend. No member of the North Carolina team finished the season owning more starting lineup experience than Fox, with his 34 career starts topping the team.
Fox joins kicker Grayson Atkins, receiver Beau Corrales, linebacker Tyrone Hopper and tight end Garrett Walston as seniors who will remain with North Carolina and play an extra year in 2021.
Coach Mack Brown said last week while announcing Walston’s return — a decision he called “huge for us” given Walston’s role as a trusted element of the team’s offense — that Fox also was considering coming back. Three days later, the productive Fox made the move official.
“My time at Carolina has been special,” Fox wrote in a social media post. “I’m a graduate of a top university. I’ve been able to play college football at an elite level, and I’ve had the opportunity to learn from an incredible football coaching staff.
“Playing next to my teammates has been the most special part of this journey. After praying and discussing it with my family, I have decided to come back to Carolina and play football for one more season.”
With Fox staying on, the Tar Heels, who went 8-4 this past season, are expected to return all 11 of their defensive starters from the Orange Bowl. Star linebacker Chazz Surratt projects as the only regular-season starter who won’t be back, after he opted out of playing in the bowl game and turned his attention toward preparing for the NFL Draft.
Linebacker figures to be a position stocked with options for North Carolina next season. Fox, Hopper and Jeremiah Gemmel are experienced veterans who will be in their third years in coordinator Jay Bateman’s system, while Eugene Asante, Chris Collins and Desmond Evans and younger talents on the rise.
Fox is tied with NFL Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor, the pass-rushing legend, for fifth place on North Carolina’s career sacks list with 21. Four sacks next season will climb Fox past Marcus Jones and Quinton Coples into third place. Greg Ellis (32½ sacks) and Julius Peppers (30½ sacks) are the program’s all-time leaders.
This article originally appeared on Times-News: UNC football keeps another key piece with pass-rusher Tomon Fox returning
