CHAPEL HILL – With the season opener at California just a few days away, North Carolina football coach Larry Fedora gave a little more insight Wednesday evening to what the Tar Heels’ depth chart will look like going into the contest.
UNC did not release a depth chart Monday, as it normally does, and one of the most notable battles still undecided entering this week was at quarterback behind the starter, Nathan Elliott. With Chazz Surratt suspended for the first four games, true freshmen Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder have been in a close competition all month for the primary backup spot.
Following Wednesday’s practice at Kenan stadium, Fedora revealed the staff’s decision.
“We’re going to go with Cade Fortin as our number two quarterback going into this game,” Fedora said.
Asked what Fortin did in camp to earn the spot, Fedora replied, “He’s shown that he’s grasped the game plan, he’s making good throws, he’s making good decisions in practice and he’s shown that he’s capable of getting it done if we need him to.”
Fortin is 6-3, 210 pounds and hails from Suwanee, GA. He flipped from Texas A&M to UNC last December after missing most of his senior season with an injury.
*As for the starting spot also open at right guard, a battle between redshirt freshman Billy Ross and true freshman William Barnes, Fedora deferred to offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic, who was available to the media Tuesday but not Wednesday.
“I’m going to have to ask Kap after practice, I don’t know what he’s decided,” Fedora said. “I know those guys have been battling it out, they’ve been splitting reps, but I just walked off the field and haven’t talked to him yet.”
Fedora was asked if he and Kapilovic are increasingly comfortable with either player getting game reps.
“I think so,” he replied. “I think both of them are doing a nice job, they’ve been battling. So, it’s trying to get consistency from either one of them. So once we get some consistency, I think he will make a decision.”
*Fedora actually acknowledged he’s comfortable with where the team is just days from playing its opener.
“I think we’re as prepared as we can be at this point,” he said. “We still have to polish things up tomorrow and will have our walk throughs and stuff on Friday. So, we still have things to do mentally, butt he physical part of it’s pretty much done.”
*Even with Fedora’s acknowledgement noted above, he rarely expresses comfort in much of anything about his teams, but he was asked Wednesday if there’s anything in his team he’s more comfortable with now than this time 12 months ago, and he gave an interesting response.
“I would say our leadership,” he said. “The group has done a tremendous job. From the first time we met in January all the through now, those guys have been consistent, they’ve held themselves to a high standard, they’ve been able to hold their peers to a high standard, they’ve held them accountable. And that’s not easy to do. I’m proud of what those guys have done.”
