ACC Injury Report: No Designation For UNC's Thad Dixon After Five Missed Games

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Thad Dixon suffered an apparent upper body injury against Clemson in Week 6, which sidelined him for the ensuing five games. On Thursday, though, Dixon was not listed on the injury report for the first time since mid-October in the lead up to North Carolina’s matchup against Duke on Saturday.

Dixon started at cornerback for UNC’s first five games of the season. Dixon recorded 14 total tackles and three pass deflections in his first five games with the Tar Heels. He has been targeted 16 times this season and has allowed nine catches, translating to an opposing reception percentage of 56.3%. Bill Belichick indicated last week that Dixon was making progress, and Inside Carolina confirmed that he had returned to practice.

Kaleb Cost wasn’t listed on the report either, a sign that he’ll be available against the Blue Devils.

Cost missed last week’s game against Wake Forest, his first time out of the lineup this year. Cost has recorded 39 tackles, four pass deflections and an interception in nine games this season.

Guard Aidan Banfield and center Chad Lindberg remain out for North Carolina.

Banfield last stepped foot on UNC’s offensive line against UCF. He played three special teams snaps against Syracuse on Halloween. Lindberg last played in UNC’s road victory against Syracuse, where he suffered an arm injury that’s left him sidelined since. Lindberg started seven games at center for North Carolina this season, coming in without having played the position for extended periods of time.

North Carolina is 4-6 heading into Saturday’s Senior Day matchup against the 5-5 Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Duke won last year’s matchup at Wallace Wade, 21-20.

Here’s UNC’s portion from Thursday night’s first injury report for Saturday’s game against Duke.

OUT FOR UNC
WR #5 Jason Robinson Jr.
LB #28 Chinedu Onyeagoro
LB #30 Evan Bennett
LB #33 Tyler Houser
FB #33 Henry Martello
OL #53 Christo Kelly
OL #68 Aidan Banfield
OL #69 Chad Lindberg
DL #84 Laderion Williams
DL #86 Kamarion Thomas
TE #87 Cort Halsey

QUESTIONABLE FOR UNC
TE #81 Connor Cox

For ACC league games this football season, availability reports are required to be submitted two nights before a game, the night before a game, and then two hours before the game’s scheduled kickoff time. For basketball and baseball games, the ACC is requiring availability reports to be turned in the night before a game, and then two hours before the game’s scheduled tip-off time.