25 Quick Hits Looking At The 2019 Season

A new era of North Carolina football formally kicks off Saturday when the Tar Heels take on South Carolina in Charlotte in the first game of Mack Brown’s second tour of duty at UNC.

There’s no shortage of storylines for the Tar Heels going into this game and season, courtesy of the staff and style changes, but the Heels will also rely on quite a few players many average fans likely know little about.

This team has plenty of question marks but also some terrific parts. And with that, here are 25 quick hits on what to look for with the season just about here:

(Note: This is in no specific order)

*DB Depth – The Tar Heels don’t have much proven depth in the secondary, so it’s probable a true freshman or two will be in the rotation in some capacity.

*DL Depth – This may have been the greatest concern heading into fall camp, but isn’t as much of one now considering progress a few reserves made in fall camp. The depth, however, is still unproven behind starters Jason Strowbridge and Aaron Crawford.

*The Linebackers – Dominique Ross is athletic and has been praised for his pass rushing skills and Jeremiah Gemmel (10 snaps last season) is fully trusted by defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. Otherwise, there are huge uncertainties in this group in spite of it having some intriguing potential.

*The Hybrids – Until we see them play in a game, this defensive end/linebacker combo group is difficult to project. Tomon Fox is a very good player and there’s certainly talent among these guys, but it’s going to remain a question and absolutely a curiosity until we see them in action..

*Kicking Game – While punting could be in really good hands with true freshman Ben Kiernan, placekicking could still be a bit of a question mark. Noah Ruggles has been pretty effective in camp but not great. So, let’s see what he does against live opponents and a lot on the line before getting a true gauge on what he will deliver.

*Special Teams Youth – Some true freshmen will be serving in important roles (punter, long snapper) but there could be a host of them on the various punt/kick receiving and coverage units. We aren’t sure just how many, but it will be interesting to see when the Heels line up Saturday.

*Chazz’s Instincts – Chazz Surratt is an outstanding athlete who likely will develop into a fine linebacker, but he’s only been getting reps there physically and mentally since the late winter, so he’s still trying to develop better instincts. When will it click, nobody knows for sure.

*Enough WRs? – Wide receivers coach Lonnie Galloway said he wants between 12-14 receivers in his rotation. The Heels will go fast and use a lot of space in their routes, so he wants plenty of guys ready so the group remains fresh throughout games. Early in camp, the word was they had around nine or 10, will they hit the 12-14 number?

*Fewer Drops – A point of emphasis in the spring, summer workouts and fall camp has been for all intended receivers to catch the ball. Drops were a big problem last year and have been at times through fall camp.

*Center/Right Guard – There’s no question getting the center position straightened out has been a primary concern along the OL this month. And with Nick Polino having to move over to center from right guard, it means none of the recruited centers have stepped up enough. It also means Marcus McKethan’s recent move to the starting RG spot raises questions about those two positions on the line.

*Eight Linemen? – Offensive line coach Stacy Searels said he wants to have at least eight offensive linemen ready for the opener, but Mack Brown said a week ago, a day after the team’s second scrimmage, they probably had just seven at that time. Will an eighth lineman emerge?

*QB, Obviously – With a true freshman (Sam Howell) and redshirt freshman with 25 career snaps (Jace Ruder) the only two remaining scholarship QBs on the roster, it would be understandable for people to have some uneasiness regarding this position. But they are both very talented and word has it are gamers, so if they remain healthy this position may not be much of a concern after all.

*Stout Up Front – The Heels are in excellent shape in the middle of the defensive line with Aaron Crawford and Jason Strowbridge, two players Brown says will be in the NFL next year.

*Outstanding RBs – UNC’s trio of Michael Carter, Antonio Williams and Javonte Williams is outstanding, as each player can carry a workload and is multidimensional, which is good given the offense they will run.

*Dazzling Dazz – Junior WR/Punt returner Dazz Newsome showed some flashes last year of his game-breaking potential and he could explode this season. He needs to limit the drops, and if he does, look out for a huge season from the speedster.

*Terrific TEs – Carl Tucker can run routes matched by few college tight ends and Jake Bargas is such a good blocker and solid enough receiver he could be in an NFL camp next summer along with Tucker. These guys make a terrific tandem.

*Bigs Are Big – Carolina’s projected starting offensive line averages 6-foot-5 1/2 and 320 pounds per player. The tackles are enormous: Charlie Heck is 6-foot-8 and 315 pounds and Jordan Tucker is 6-foot-7 and 332 pounds. Right guard Marcus McKethan is 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds.

*Heck & The Next Level – Charlie Heck’s dad played a decade in the NFL and is currently and NFL assistant coach. Charlie is likely headed in the same path as a player, as he’s got the perfect frame and is athletic. Now playing left tackle, his stock could really rise with a big season.

*Drew Little, Long Snapper – Very few football fans ever know who their teams’ long snappers are, but UNC fans should take notice in true freshman Drew Little. This is an extremely important part of the game that only gets noticed with the snapper messes up, and it’s doubtful Tar Heels’ fans will see much of that from Little.

*Starting Secondary – While depth is a big concern here, the starters are not. Safety Myles Dorn and cornerback/jack-of-all-trades Trey Morrison could play a while in the NFL. Corner Patrice Rene will be in a camp and safety Myles Wolfolk is underrated. The x-factor is the nickel position, where D.J. Ford could solidify this group as a real strength of the team. By the way, Morrison played nickel a year ago and may get snaps there this year, too.

*Forcing Turnovers – No FBS team has intercepted fewer passes than UNC over the last three seasons, and it’s one of the reasons Carolina has won just six of its last 27 games, with three of the wins coming over FCS opponents. Bateman’s aggressive defense could lead to more turnovers which means stopping opposing offenses while giving a young QB short some fields to work with.

*Faster Than The Fed Spread – If UNC fans thought the Heels’ offense moved fast under Larry Fedora, they're are turning it up a notch under cordinator Phil Longo. The players say they’re getting into the next play faster than ever before.

*Carolina Blue – Brown said there may be an alternate home and away uniform to be worn once each, but otherwise, UNC is Carolina blue and white. Blue helmets and blue tops at home with white tops and white helmets on the road. The pants will fluctuate between white and Carolina blue.

*Grass Gone At Kenan – For the first time ever, the Heels will no longer play on grass at home. Artificial turf was installed in the offseason and it’s what UNC will play on for the foreseeable future. Also gone, likely for good, are the hedges that used to surround the surface.

*New Vibe – There’s no way this program won just five total games over the last two seasons, at least that’s the vibe one gets spending any time around the program these days. So much has changed in the nine months since Brown was hired, but most notable is this bunch doesn’t seem like a group that plummeted to the basement of the ACC the last two years.