Ray Vohasek Out for The Season

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina defensive tackle Ray Vohasek is out for the season with an upper body injury, the program announced right before head coach Mack Brown’s press conference Tuesday.

Vohasek missed the last two games at Miami and at Duke, and it was learned over the last few days that he will require surgery and will miss the rest of the season.

"Very disappointed for Ray,” Brown said. “He is one of our best players. Great young guy," he said. "Such a great player. He's been a tremendous leader for us. We will miss him.”

A graduate student from McHenry, IL, Vohasek started Carolina’s first five games this season, registering 14 tackles and batted two passes. He was one of the leaders of UNC’s defense, and was one of its spokesmen with the media.

Vohasek played in 36 games as a Tar Heel and was in on 96 tackles, 18.5 TFLs, of which 5.5 were sacks. He deflected eight passes as well.

“It will hurt our team, but more than that, we are hurt for him,” Brown said. “That's a tough one for a senior that came back obviously to help his team and have a better chance to play in the NFL. He will get his operation, he will rehab and try to get ready for the pro day."

Vohasek had surgery last winter to take care of what he described as a “funky injury” to is lower body that hampered him during the 2021 campaign. He returned to UNC to have a better season than last year as a team, and also enhance his NFL stock.

Brown said that rue freshman Travis Shaw will see more action as a result of Vohasek’s absence, plus redshirt freshman Keeshawn Silver and sophomore Kedrick Bingley-Jones will have larger roles, too.

“We’ve still got six rotators in there we feel like can really help us,” Brown said.

His college career is now over, so Vohasek will have surgery, rehab, and begin his quest to make an NFL roster.

*Trey Scott contrinuted to this report.