Monday Depth Chart, Notes & Quotes

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina released its depth chart Monday for its ACC road game at Virginia on Saturday, which is slated for a 3:00 kickoff at Scott Stadium.

The most notable change from last week’s depth chart is that senior WR Mack Hollins is no longer listed, as he’s out for the season with a broken collar bone, as we reported Saturday night. In his place on the depth chart is redshirt freshman WR Anthony Ratcliff-Williams, who has seen limited action running pass routes but has been in on some special teams, including returning kickoffs.

Junior Jordan Cunningham moved up a spot behind Ratliff-Williams.

Redshirt freshman Tommy Hatton is now listed as the backup left guard behind Caleb Peterson, who missed Saturday’s win at Miami. Hatton, who started the season opener versus Georgia at right guard, started against the Hurricanes at left guard. Polino is now listed third.

Due to that move, Brad Henson is now listed as the No. 2 right guard behind R.J Prince.

An “OR” has been added net to junior Tyler Powell’s name at defensive end with redshirt freshman Malik Carney listed next. True freshman Allen Cater remains third.

The “OR” next to Aaron Crawford’s name as the starter at one of the defensive tackle spots has been removed. Jalen Dalton and Robert Dinkins still follow Crawford.

Carolina is 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the ACC while UVa is 2-4 and 1-1.

The following is the depth chart with more notes and quotes as the Tar Heels enter game week preparation for the Cavaliers:

OFFENSE

Comment: The Tar Heels had another situation at Miami where they couldn’t get a yard when needed on 4th down. This time, it was at the goal line and happened after the Heels had 1st-and-goal at the 1.

“It’s frustrating, it really is,” Fedora said. “And then you start questioning the things that you do when really, you just need to knock some people off the ball and just go get a yard. That’s all you’ve got to do. Don’t make it any harder than it already is.

“(Then) you start doubting yourself call-wise when it’s happened now in a couple of 4th-down situations.”

Left Tackle

75 - Bentley Spain (6-6, 300, Jr.)

51 - William Sweet (6-7, 300, RS Fr.)

Left Guard

70 - Caleb Peterson (6-5, 300, Sr.)

52 - Tommy Hatton (6-3, 290, RS Fr.)

58 – Nick Polino (6-4, 290 RS Fr.)

Center

68 - Lucas Crowley (6-3, 290, Sr.)

62 – Mark Uptergraff (6-2, 305, Jr.)

Right Guard

76 - R.J. Prince (6-6, 310, Jr.)

73 - Brad Henson (6-5, 290, Jr.)

Right Tackle

71 - Jon Heck (6-6, 310, Sr.)

67 – Charlie Heck (6-7, 295 RS Fr.)

Comment: Heck remains listed as the starter even though he left Saturday’s game at Miami with an apparent concussion. Williams Sweet, who is listed second at left tackle, replaced Heck and played most of the rest of the game there. However, Sweet is still listed on the left side and Heck’s younger brother, Charlie, is still listed behind him.

Tight End/Y

82 - Brandon Fritts (6-4, 240, So.)

86 – Carl Tucker (6-2, 240, RS Fr.)

80 – Jake Bargas (6-4, 240 RS Fr.)

Comment: Fritts played a considerable amount in the win at Miami, somewhere in the 20 snap range, or a bit higher. The Heels used multiple tight ends a bit more than they have been, as well.

Quarterback

10 - Mitch Trubsky (6-3, 225, Jr.)

11 – Nathan Elliott (6-1, 210 RS Fr.)

Comment: Trubisky ran the ball five times for first downs at Miami, with most of the carries called runs. Trubisky said after the game the called runs would be there because of what Miami does defensively, and with that also on his shoulders, the junior turned in a very gritty performance.

“It was gritty,” Fedora said. “We knew we were going to have to run him some, we just expected to do that in that game because of what they were doing. Going into it, they were really good on 3rd downs, I can’t remember exactly what the percentage was but it was really good, for our guys to take the challenge that we were going to have to be good on 3rd down and to be 14-for-23, was exceptional.

Trubisky ran for two of those 3rd-down conversions.

Tailback

34 - Elijah Hood (6-0, 230, Jr.)

8 - T.J. Logan (5-10, 190, Sr.)

1 – Khris Francis (5-9, 200, Sr.)

Wide Receiver

17 – Anthony Ratliff-Williams (6-1, 200, RS Fr.)

15 – Jordan Cunningham (6-2, 190, So.)

Comment: How much will losing Hollins’ ability to stretch the field tighten the field for the passing game?

“I still think we’ve got some guys that can stretch the field vertically. That doesn’t overly concern me,” Fedora said. “We’ll miss Mack’s ability to do it because that’s probably the thing that he does best, but we’ve still got guys that are getting behind people. A lot of that happens to be what (opponents) give us coverage-wise and what they want to give us the opportunity to do.”

Wide Receiver

3 - Ryan Switzer (5-10, 185, Sr.)

7 - Austin Proehl (5-10, 185, Jr.)

48 – Thomas Jackson (5-11, 195, Jr.)

Wide Receiver

84 - Bug Howard (6-5, 210, Sr.)

88 – Jordan Fieulleteau (6-3, 210, Jr.)

4 – Rontavius Groves (5-11, 175, Fr.)

DEFENSE

Comment: Inside UNC’s 30-yard-line, the Canes were 2-13 passing for 20 yards and ran the ball 15 times for 30 yards. Inside the 20 they were 0-5 passing and ran the ball 9 times for 17 yards, and inside the 10 they were 0-1 and 4-7.

“I think (defensive coordinator) Gene (Chizik) did a great job of mixing up coverages as we went throughout the game,” Fedora said. “He didn’t set in one thing, we played base defense quite a bit, but we mixed coverages and just never let them get a beat on what we were trying to do.”s

Defensive End

95 - Tyler Powell (6-4, 275, Jr.) OR

53 – Malik Carney (6-3, 230, So.)

33 – Allen Cater (6-4, 240, Fr.)

Defensive Tackle

92 - Aaron Crawford (6-1, 310, RS Fr.)

97 - Jalen Dalton (6-6, 300, So.)

93 - Robert Dinkins (6-1, 275, So.)

Comment: True freshman defensive tackle Marlon Dunlap, who is not listed on the depth chart, saw his first action at Miami and registered a tackle.

Defensive Tackle

90 - Nazair Jones (6-5, 310, Jr.)

49 - Jeremiah Clarke (6-5, 305, So.)

Comment: When asked about the defense’s improvement, especially up front, in recent weeks, Fedora wasted no time in noting the player most responsible for the unit’s growth.

“Naz, especially, if you just keep watching him, his game I getting better and better and better,” the coach replied.

Fedora also noted that Dalton is getting better and understanding the “role of moving inside.” Crawford and Clarke also drew praise from Fedora.

Defensive End

45 - Mikey Bart (6-3, 270, Sr.)

55 – Jason Strowbridge (6-4, 270, RS Fr.)

Will Linebacker

36 - Cole Holcomb (6-1, 220, Jr.)

20 – Dominique Ross (6-3, 210 Fr.) OR

41 – J.B. Copeland (6-3, 225, Jr.)

Mike Linebacker

56 - Andre Smith (6-0, 240, So.)

7 – Jonathan Smith (6-1, 235, Fr.)

Comment: With Andre Smith out this week and Jonathan Smith missing the Miami game with an injury, Ayden Bonilla saw action at the Mike LB spot after Andre Smith was ejected for targeting with about 11 minutes left in the game. While Bonilla remains listed as a backup at the Sam LB spot, it’s not a reach to suggest he may start and play the first half there Saturday until Andre Smith can get back on the field in the second half. Smith is suspended for the first half of the game.

“Another kid that was recognized Sunday for the way he played was Ayden Bonilla, who stepped in behind (Andre Smith) and played really well,” Fedora said. “He did a heck of a job. We’ll miss Andre for that first half, but Ayden will step up or whoever that coach JP (John Papuchis) gets ready for that position, they’ll be ready to go.”

Sam Linebacker

23 - Cayson Collins (6-1, 235, Jr.)

25 – Ayden Bonilla (6-2, 235, So.)

Cornerback

6 - M.J. Stewart (5-11, 200, Jr.)

18 – Corey Bell, Jr. (5-9, 175, So.)

Free Safety

26 - Dominiquie Green (5-11, 190, Sr.)

21 – Myles Dorn (6-2, 210 Fr.)

Comment: Dorn played between 40-50 snaps in the win at Miami and made two huge plays. He broke up a pass with the Hurricanes going for it on 4th down, and later chased down Miami's Joe Yearby at the 6-yard-line after a 42-yard run. The Heels defense forced a field goal on that drive, so Dorn’s play was enormous.

“A play that’s going to be forgotten and one that nobody talks about, when the guy broke for 42 yards and he ran it down and then we hold them to a field goal, that’s huge, that’s huge,” Fedora said. “It’s just another play, but it’s not something that the coaches forget.”

Strong Safety

15 - Donnie Miles (5-11, 205, Jr.)

16 – D.J. Ford (6-3, 195, Fr.) OR

11 – Myles Wolfolk (6-0, 200, Fr.)

Cornerback

2 - Des Lawrence (6-1, 185, Sr.)

8 – Patrice Rene (6-2, 200, Fr.)

Nickelback

6 - M.J. Stewart (5-11, 200, Jr.)

29 - J.K. Britt (6-0, 200, So.) OR

9 – K.J. Sails (5-11, 165, Fr.)

SPECIAL TEAMS

Comment: As much as losing Hollins for the season will be felt at wide receiver and as a long ball threat, the special teams may be more impacted by his injury. The undisputed leader of the special teams, Hollins participated on four units – punt, kickoff, kickoff receiver and punt return – and was by far Carolina’s best special teams player.

Fedora said having to prepare for not having Hollins for the first half in the opener against Georgia will help the transition this week.

“It will be multiple guys,” Fedora said. “We’re probably a lot more prepared for it now because all of those younger guys have been getting multiple reps throughout the season. They’ve been playing and they’ve been contributing. This is going into our 12th week, we don’t have any young guys anymore, they’ve played. They’ve played a season, basically, so it’s time for them to go.”

The coach said it’s likely four different players will replace Hollins on these units.

Place-kicker

24 - Nick Weiler (6-0, 190, Sr.)

98 - Freeman Jones (6-0, 200, So.)

Kickoff Specialist

24 - Nick Weiler (6-0, 190, Sr.)

98 - Freeman Jones (6-0, 200, So.)

Comment: On the failed onside kick that UNC recovered but was overturned because of blocking penalty, Fedora said the kick was a reason the block occurred. Thus, the coach said a better kick would have meant the Heels would have had possession of the ball.

“I wasn’t a good kick,” he said. “For what we were trying to achieve, it wasn’t the kind of kick that we needed. If it would have been, it would have been a no-brainer, no problem. It was a soft surface and he just didn’t get the speed out of it he wanted to.”

Punter

27 – Tom Sheldon (6-3, 200, Fr.)

23 - Joey Mangili (6-3, 205 Sr.)

91 – Hunter Lent (6-5, 230, Soph.)

Deep Snapper

41 - Kyle Murphy (6-2, 235, Jr.) - PK

61 - Tommy Bancroft (6-4, 215, So.) - P

Holder

23 - Joey Mangili (6-3, 210 Sr.)

Kickoff Return

8 - T.J. Logan (5-10, 190, Sr.)

1 – Khris Francis (5-9, 200, Sr.)

17 – Anthony Ratliff-Williams (6-1, 200, FR*)

Punt Return

3 - Ryan Switzer (5-10, 185, Sr.)

7 - Austin Proehl (5-10, 185, Jr.)