Longo Talks The Next Step Offensively, Depth & More
CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina offensive coordinator Phil Longo met with the media Thursday for the first time since fall camp opened a month ago to discuss his unit.
Among the topics discussed: Depth on the offensive line; greater use of tight end Garrett Walston; the backup QB situation; who might be the third running back; preparation for Syracuse and Charlotte during camp instead of the spring and summer and much more.
Above is Longo’s full presser and below are some notes and quotes from what he had to say:
*The offensive line has been a big topic over the last month because UNC Coach Mack Brown has been up front about not yet having eight players the staff believes are ready to play a big role if called on. Earlier this week, Brown said there’s a core six players that are fully trusted and true freshman Jonathan Adorno is becoming the seventh. But the stated goal has been to have 10 players, with eight being acceptable.
Longo, however, said they are getting close and still have a week-plus to get the other guys more prepared to play versus Syracuse on Sept. 12.
“Right now we have six that we love,” Longo said. “We have a seventh that we think is going to be pretty good. And we have two guys, maybe three right now, that are really working to try to get to be that eighth guy. We’ve got another – what is it? – eight, nine days before we get to the game. I think right now if we went into the game tomorrow, there’s seven we feel good about.”
The six are starters Asim Richards, Josh Ezeudu, Brian Anderson, Marcus McKethan and Jordan Tucker with Ed Montilus as the first backup. Richards is a first-time starter but the other five players combined for 48 starts last season. It helps that Montilus can spell Ezeudu, who has become the jack-of-all-trades among the linemen. He can play each spot aside from center.
“I was going to say, we have one guy (Ezeudu) that really is two people for us because he can play guard or tackle anywhere on the offensive line,” Longo said. “So, he gives us some flexibility with regards to being able to spell different guys and not have a drop off with an offensive position.”
*The offensive lineman who arrived a couple of years ago as ballyhooed as any in the program for some time is William Barnes, and while he played a lot early as a true freshman, notably the majority of the snaps at left guard in a season-opening loss at California in 2018, injuries and weight issues have slowed his development and kept him off the field. He played just 47 snaps last season.
But, Longo said Barnes is making progress and is closing in on joining the desired eight, 10-man group the staff wants.
“Well, William is one of those three that I was referring to when I said we're trying to develop, trying to pull or get out of one more out of these three guys, you know, a lineman that kind of matches code serial standard for getting on the field on Saturday,” Longo said. “So, he and two others are really battling right now not necessarily with each other. But just to get to a point where they can execute at a high enough level that we're confident enough to put them out on the field on Saturday.
“So, he has been. He's had a nagging, little back issue. But for the most part, I think he's back now and he's working. And we've got eight or nine days to see what we can do with Willie.”
*We’ve written about the quest for a third running back to step and grab a hold of the role Antonio Williams had a year ago, and with nine days before the opener, that still hasn’t happened. It’s not that the players behind Michael Carter and Javonte Williams aren’t ready to play, but perhaps more that their skillsets aren’t as fully engaged as was the case with Williams. So, it appears for now the staff will use British Brooks, D.J. Jones, Josh Henderson and Elijah Green in roles more specified to what they do well at this time.
“No, not yet,” Longo replied, when asked if anyone had a leg up in grabbing a hold of that third spot. “D.J. has really performed well in certain days. British just had a great day yesterday. Elijah’s done some things, he’s got some quicks and does a good job in the running game. The good thing is there’s a room full of talent at the running back position and Coach Gillespie and our staff will just have to do a good job.
“And it may wind up being who’s No. 3 by situation: better pass catcher, the better blocker, the better runner. It may wind up coming down to who do we need for that particular situation in a game, so we’ll just have to wait and see there.”
*Garrett Walston is the only tight end on the roster who has been in a game aside from the 20 snaps Kamari Morales played a year ago, mostly in the Mercer game. Walston has also elevated his game to where UNC fans can expect more use of the tight end in the passing game this fall. Overall, only 30 passes were targeted at tight ends a year ago, and with Walston’s range continuing to grow, that number should be higher this season.
“So Garrett is what you would hope, he's a year better at his position and so we feel more confident with him in the box. He's moving better this year, even then he did last year. He probably has these might be the best hands or is close to one of the top guys with regards to having the best hands on the team. We've utilized them more. His role is more diverse this year, because what he can do for us this year is more diverse. So he's had a great camp, we're excited about him.
Longo offered some praise for Morales, too.
“You have the emergence of a younger tight end and Kamari Morales is who has been a physical presence in the box and can do enough outside,” Longo said.
*So, who will back up Sam Howell if he had to leave the game for whatever reason? Mack Brown said earlier in the week that neither third-year sophomore Jace Ruder or true freshman Jacolby Criswell had separated from each other and might not even be ready for a designed package on the third series of the Syracuse game, which is something Brown likes to do with his backup QBs.
Brown offered positives about both players, but understanding the standard in Chapel Hill is so very high right now helps to clarify Brown’s comments. Longo is gaining confidence in both players.
Regarding the QB room, Longo said the depth there means he can do more with Howell, who was the team’s only scholarship QB last fall after Ruder was lost for the season after breaking his leg against Appalachian State in the fourth game.
“Jace is back and he's doing well in camp,” Longo said. “Jacolby is here and he kind of got robbed of his spring ball physically, but mentally he's been able to work it and study and grind. He's further back on the learning curve obviously than Sam and Jace.
“What do I like about the two of them? I like the depth of our room. I think we feel like we can do more with Sam Howell now that I have two solid guys behind him as opposed to the situation we were in last year where we got down to Vincent Amendola and that was the only other guy in the quarterback room. Jace has really done a good job athletically, and he's been able to make some more progressive decisions with regards to things that are going on in the field because he brings some of that experience from last year. And then on Jacolby's end, Jacolby is still learning mentally.
“I think we're going to have a package for both of them and it's going to be the plays that are in the game plan for Syracuse that those two execute well. And I'd say the thing that Jacoby is doing right now is that he's an athlete himself. He's a really good runner. And he's done a fantastic job throwing the football.”