Three key players for TCU against UNC football

North Carolina will open its 2026 season with a familiar opponent in an unfamiliar setting.

The Tar Heels will face TCU on Saturday in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, one year after the Horned Frogs handed UNC a lopsided loss in Chapel Hill. This time, both programs enter the matchup with significant changes after an offseason that reshaped portions of their respective rosters.

TCU will have several players capable of making an immediate impact as the Horned Frogs begin another season under Sonny Dykes. From an experienced newcomer taking on a prominent offensive role to returning playmakers on both sides of the ball, North Carolina will have plenty to account for Saturday.

Here are three TCU players to watch against the Tar Heels.

Jaden Craig comes over from Harvard, where he finished his Harvard career as the program’s all-time leader with 6,074 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes. 

As a senior in 2025, he set single-season school records for passing yards (2,869), touchdown passes (25) and completions (208). A finalist for the Walter Payton Award and a first-team All-Ivy League selection, he started 11 games and averaged 260.82 passing yards while recording three rushing scores.

Jordan Dwyer is TCU’s returning leading receiver from last year with 54 catches for 730 yards and seven touchdowns. He had nine receptions for 136 yards and a touchdown against North Carolina. He's questionable for this game and his impact will be felt if he plays or not.

Jamel Johnson was an All-Big 12 selection last year after recording 96 tackles (three for a loss), three pass breakups and a team-high five interceptions last year.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Three key players for TCU against UNC football