Two UNC football standouts earn weekly ACC honors for win over TCU

When the final seconds ticked off the Aviva Stadium clock on Saturday, many college football fans watched in disbelief, while plenty others celebrated.

Anchored by a defense that shut TCU out for the final three quarters, UNC won via a 15-10 upset, avenging its 2025 loss inside Kenan Stadium.

On Monday, two individual Tar Heels (1-0) earned themselves weekly honors. Starting defensive lineman Xavier Lewis is 2026's first ACC DL of the Week, while starting linebacker Derek McDonald is ACC LB of the week.

Lewis, a sophomore who played 11 games largely as a depth piece in 2025, led all players with five solo tackles and 4.5 TFLs on Saturday. Highlighted by his 4-yard stuff of Horned Frogs (0-1) starting running back Jeremy Payne, Lewis impacted the game even without wrapping up a ball carrier.

McDonald, one of North Carolina's most experienced offseason portal additions, totaled 11 tackles against TCU. McDonald recorded 150+ tackles during his four seasons at Syracuse, so Saturday's big game was encouraging for Tar Heel Nation to witness.

The X Man ➡️ ACC Defensive Lineman of the week pic.twitter.com/butbxsDZxt

— Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) August 31, 2026

Lewis and McDonald might earn the weekly ACC recognition, but they're far from the only two Tar Heels who delivered a major impact on Saturday's victory across the pond. UNC consistently kept Horned Frogs QB Jaden Craig uncomfortable, covering receivers tightly in the secondary and, despite allowing Payne to run for 142 yards, kept him out of the endzone.

North Carolina has Labor Day weekend off, then is back in Kenan on September 12 at 12 p.m for its home opener vs. ETSU. Can Lewis and McDonald lead that defensive charge once again?

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: Two UNC football standouts earn weekly ACC honors for win over TCU