Gainer, Rucker Give Clarity To Chizik's Jack Position

CHAPEL HILL – A interesting little twist in how Gene Chizik communicates regarding the jack position occurred late in spring practice, and it may have been a tad revealing.

A year ago, a common question by the media and fans focused on what actually is the jack position. What does a jack do?

It was sort of an offshoot of the hybrid defensive end/outside linebacker spot in former North Carolina defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s defense. Chizik, who came in following the 2021 campaign, tweaked the defense, with seemingly the biggest change the jack position over the hybrid one.

So, when fielding questions about his jacks in early April, Chizik used hand quotations when saying the word “jack.” He followed quickly saying “outside linebacker,” which actually makes sense.

The role perfectly fits Florida State transfer Amari Gainer, who came to UNC in the winter because of the jack position and how playing it will enhance his chances at landing in the NFL.

“Being able to be versatile on the defense,” Gainer said when asked what about the position hoisted Carolina to the top of his list after entering the portal. “That’s my strength, being versatile, being able to get after the passer, and also having that experience to drop and all that kind of stuff. That’s what really drove me here.”

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Now, the jack is still the jack, but the impression from Chizik is he wants chasing outside linebackers in the role, or brute rush guys like Kaimon Rucker, who will split the responsibilities with Gainer this season.

Rucker has played a few positions at UNC and been productive everywhere. He was thrust into the jack role late last October after Noah Taylor was lost for the season with an injury. Rucker started Carolina’s last six games there, three times picking up four tackles, and he had a rare Tar Heels sack in the loss to Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

The combination of the two players gives Chizik a wide range of talent, experience, smarts, and violence to man the role. Sometimes, they will be on the field at the same time.

“We want to have great competition at the spot,” Chizik said. “We want to be able to split the reps when it’s called for. And then we have different packages that really require both of them to be on the field at the same time.”

Depth behind Gainer and Rucker is an issue, however, especially when second-year player Malaki Hamrick was lost likely for the season after suffering a non-contact injury in the third practice of the spring. He would have not only provided needed depth in case something happened to Gainer or Rucker, but also served as an apprentice as an expected rotation guy there in 2024.

“I’m sad for Malaki, he was the next guy up,” Rucker said. “But with him having the ACL situation, we’ve got to have the next guy up. Right now, it’s between Tyler Thompson and Jaybron Harvey. So, it’s really up for grabs.”

Harvey and Thompson, both true freshmen, had terrific springs as early enrollees. Thompson, though, is way undersized at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, so a redshirt is probable with him. Harvey physically appears ready at 6-foot-2 and 240 pounds, but he needs a bunch of reps and scrimmage snaps before the staff will be comfortable inserting him into a game. Gabe Stephens was in the room, but entered the transfer portal in April.

Gainer needs reps learning his new position, too, and Rucker isn’t a year into the jack position, so he does as well. Unlike at inside linebacker where Cedric Gray and Power Echols took fewer reps in the spring to give younger players more work, Gainer and Rucker needed their reps so they got them.

Chizik must get creative finding ways to get the other guys more involved.

“We want to build up a room of outside linebackers, or jacks, that we have, number one; we have great competition, and number two; we have guys production-wise they bring a lot to the table,” he said. “The room’s deeper than it’s been. We’ve got a lot of young guys. But that’s the final goal, making sure we build that room and get some depth in that room.”

August will be huge, especially if Rucker and Gainer show up playing jack like the veterans they are. That would be great for the team because it means they are ready to allow their immense talents to take over, and for Chizik, as he can continue building that room in the fall.