Javonte Williams the latest Tar Heel to opt out of the Orange Bowl
North Carolina running back Javonte Williams announced on his Instagram account that he will not play in the Orange Bowl against Texas A&M in order to began preparation for the NFL draft. The junior from Wallace was the fourth major contributor for the Tar Heels to decide against playing in the Jan. 2 game.
UNC coach Mack Brown said last week that Williams was practicing with the team while he was still gathering information about his draft status.
Williams rushed for 1,140 yards, which was second on the team to Michael Carter’s 1,245 yards, and set a school record with 22 touchdowns combined rushing and receiving. Williams, who averaged 7.3 yards per carry, had a 95.9 rushing grade by Pro Football Focus, which was the best ever for a running back.
Williams had arguably the best run of the year against Miami, a 43-yarder in which he hurdled, spun out of and downright ran over would-be tacklers.
Williams decision leaves Carolina’s high-scoring offense without three of its 1,000-yard gainers from this season. Williams joined Carter and Dyami Brown, the first receiver in program history with back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons, as the major offensive contributors who will skip the game.
Quarterback Sam Howell is the team’s leading rusher remaining with 121 yards. Elijah Green, Josh Henderson and British Brooks will now get a chance to start and handle the bulk of carries. Freshman running back D.J. Jones was declared out for the bowl game last week due to a lower-body injury.
The Tar Heels will now face a tough Texas A&M run defense that has allowed just 92.2 yards per game and 3.3 yards per carry.