According to Inside Carolina, three Tar Heel football players will see their UNC careers ended due to injury. Offensive lineman T.J.Leifheit, wide receiver Reggie Wilkins and linebacker P.J. Clyburn have applied for medical hardships. Assuming they are granted all three would be able to remain on scholarship and continue working towards their degree but would not count against UNC's scholarship limit.
Out of the three, the loss of Leifheit is probably the most significant given how touted he was coming to Chapel Hill from high school. Leifheit, who hails from Wilmington, NC, was a four star recruit coming out of high school but never really saw much action due to injuries suffered both before his time at UNC and once he arrived. Given the loss of multiple talented and experienced linemen from last season, Leifheit would have been a nice asset to have but injuries have prevented that.
Clyburn and Wilkins played sparingly when they were healthy and it is unclear how much they would have contributed. That being said, the nature of Larry Fedora's offense emphasizes having depth at the skill positions so it is possible Wilkins could have had a role either there or on special teams where the kick return options are in flux.
It is important to note that UNC is still facing scholarship reductions as a part of the NCAA penalties levied against the program which puts a premium on every scholarship.
