CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown announced during his noon press conference Monday that senior tight end Garrett Walston has decided to take advantage of the NCAA rule allowing players to get this past season back and not count against them, so he will return next season to the Tar Heels’ football program.

In addition, Brown said senior defensive end/outside linebacker Tomon Fox is considering returning.

Walton joins wide receiver Beau Corrales, placekicker Grayson Atkins, and defensive end/outside linebacker Tyrone Hopper as seniors taking advantage of the rule and returning to UNC.

“We got great news last night that Garrett Walston has decided to come back for another year,” UNC Coach Mack Brown said Monday. “So that’s really, really cool.”

A native of Wilmington, NC, Walston caught 19 passes for 255 yards and two touchdowns this past season. At 6-foot-4 and 240 pounds, Walston played 691 snaps this season and graded out at 63.9, according to PFF.

For his career, Walston has caught 29 passes for 350 yards, three touchdowns and a pair of two-point conversions.

“He played so well the other night,” Brown said. “He’s a vital part of our offense, we’re getting the ball to the tight end much more now, so that really helps us because we’ve got some talented young tight ends and another one coming in, but we don’t have experience like Garrett.”

Fox, who played two games versus Georgia and Illinois at the beginning of the 2016 season, has played in 46 games at UNC getting on the field for 2,517 snaps. He has made 131 tackles as a Tar Heel. He graded out at 65.5 this season.

“He hasn’t made a decision yet,” Brown said. “All of the other seniors have made plans to move forward.”

In addition, the 6-foot-3, 255-pound Fox has 21 sacks for his career, which puts him tied for fifth-place all-time at UNC with Lawrence Taylor.

If he returns, Fox would play a sixth season at UNC and if he stayed healthy would play with his younger brother, defensive tackle Tomari Fox, for a third season.

“That would mean that Garrett Walston, Grayson Atkins, Tyrone Hopper, Beau Corrales are all coming back for sure, and Tomon is trying to make a decision whether he will come back or not,” Brown said.

The players that return for another senior season won’t count against the 85-scholarship limit.