⚡ CFB Dashboard

CHAPEL HILL — Three months before North Carolina traveled across the pond to face TCU in Dublin, Ireland, for Week 0, a much smaller group of Tar Heels made the trip overseas. Captains Christo Kelly, Derek McDonald and running back Benjamin Hall, along with defensive tackle Xavier Lewis and Irish punter Adam McCann-Gibbs represented UNC for the promotional expedition in May between the spring and summer semesters. On that trip, the players participated in several promotional events for the Aer Lingus Classic, including a city tour, a visit to McCann-Gibbs' hometown and his elementary school in Glen, Northern Ireland. What wasn't on the itinerary, however, was individual workouts to continue gearing towards preseason camp and the regular season. Most players across the country must have elite work ethics to earn playing time on the field, especially at the Power Four level. For a walk-on, however, the buy-in is exponentially higher to eventually work their way up to earning playing time, yet alone a starting job. Just look at Lewis. Beyond his clothes and toiletries, he also packed his speed ladder and hurdles, taking the idea of no-days-off to a new level. More than three months later, Lewis was starting his first career game for UNC. In 60 minutes and a 15-10 win over the Horned Frogs, Lewis announced himself at a national level, recording seven tackles, 4.5 tackle for loss, two sacks and a 88.2 PFF grade, the highest of any defensive player in Week 0. And before Week 4 kicked off, Lewis was tied for the national lead with six sacks and eight tackles for loss. To everyone else, his performance has been eye-opening. For his teammates, it was expected. "For anyone who knows him, it's not as much of a surprise as people on the outside...," McDonald said on Monday of Lewis' breakout game against TCU. "Just knowing X and how hard he works, it's awesome to see it come to light like that. But it's really no surprise because that's just the type of guy he is." Lewis' performance in Dublin — and over the next two games — was the culmination of years of work that began when he arrived at UNC as a walk-on in June 2025. While the the trip to Ireland in May was intended to promote UNC's opener, Lewis found a way to make it part of his preparation for it, too. Most walk-ons around the country never sniff the field. Lewis is one of the few who have. And perhaps the clearest explanation was sitting in his luggage: a speed ladder and a set of hurdles, because Lewis wasn't going to let a day pass without finding a way to get better.