CHAPEL HILL – One area depth likely won’t be a problem next fall is in the secondary, though North Carolina’s coaching staff was looking forward to seeing the competition back there beginning this spring.
They won’t get that opportunity, though, as there won’t be any spring practice. But with eight defensive backs returning that have started games and contributed to wins plus two noteworthy transfers from ACC programs, the secondary will go at least 10 deep, which excites UNC Coach Mack Brown.
“When you add the guys that we’ve added, it’s going to be really competitive back there and guys are going to have to fight to get a chance to play,” he said a few weeks ago in advance of spring practice, which was slated to begin March 17.
“And I can’t wait until even fall to see our secondary. I’m so excited about those guys.”
The newcomers are Kyler McMichael, who sat out last fall after spending one season and winning a national championship at Clemson, and Bryce Watts, who played in 25 games in two seasons at Virginia Tech before becoming a Tar Heel.
Add Bryson Richardson, who missed last season with an injury but got on the field some in 2018, and a few other Tar Heels who came in as defensive backs and have a few game reps there, but have mostly been special teams players at Carolina, and the competition will be stiff to determine the pecking at each spot. Some may go three deep.
McMichael was singled out by Brown in late February as one of the players he kept getting positive reports about from workouts and player-led practices. Of course, Brown knows plenty about the other eight returning Heels.
Cornerback Storm Duck had a terrific true freshman season and Don Chapman emerged at free safety late in the season as a true freshman. Both players seized opportunities afforded them because of injuries to Patrice Rene (corner) and Myles Wolfolk (safety), among others. The veteran Heels are back and will challenge for their old starting jobs.
Trey Morrison was a starter at nickel during his freshman year in 2018 but was in and out of the lineup at corner last fall because of injuries, which was a common theme among the secondary. His track record is strong, however. Senior D.J. Ford is experienced and turned in some positive performances at safely last season, Cam’Ron Kelly was highly touted out of high school and was progressing before he was lost for the season tearing his ACL in a one-point loss to Clemson.
The use of DeAndre Hollins may have personified just what the Heels dealt with in the secondary. He spent the first couple of months working at nickleback before injuries forced him to get in some reps at corner.
“We moved the DeAndre Hollins over to the corner a little bit during practice so he could get a little work,” Brown said, referring to the win over Duke. “And then the third play of the game right in front of me, Storm Duck jumps up, comes down, hits his head and I said, ‘no, no, we don’t have any corners.’
“So, I run down to (defensive coordinator) Jay (Bateman) and he said, ‘we’ll be okay. We’ll be okay.’ And I hear him tell the DeAndre Hollins, who kind of said, ‘I got no clue.’ (Bateman) said, ‘you’ll be on our sideline just, we’re gonna play man. Just hang in there. Just hang in there.’”
As loaded as the Heels are in all elements of the secondary, the likelihood depth becoming an issue this coming season is rather unlikely.
“We won’t have that trouble anymore,” Brown said. “We’re, we’re going to have a enough depth that, that we can coach.”
And the staff was excited to get the players on the field and watch them compete. That must wait for a while, but while spring football was needed for the program, the staff at least can take solace in the one part of the team that is positively loaded.
The 10 DBs
*D.J. Ford 11 career starts, 54 tackles last season, 1 INT and 2 PBUs
*Storm Duck 9 career starts, 37 tackles last season, 2 INTs, 5 PBUs
*Trey Morrison, 18 career starts, 31 tackles last season, 1 INT, 4 PBUs
*Don Chapman, 4 career starts, 30 tackles last season, 2 INTs, 1 PBU
*Myles Wolfolk, 11 career starts, 25 tackles last season, 3 INTs
*DeAndre Hollins, 3 career starts, 17 tackles last season, 0 INT, 4 PBU
*Cam’Ron Kelly, 1 career start, 7 tackles last season.
*Patrice Rene, 19 career starts, 6 tackles last season.
*Bryce Watts, started 12 games at Va. Tech in 2018, 29 tackles, 7 PBUs.
*Kyler McMichael, second on Clemson’s depth chart in spring of 2019.
