Peay's View: Defensive Practice Observations

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CHAPEL HILL – THI was at a recent North Carolina football practice as the Tar Heels hear toward their spring game on April 15. And in this edition of Peay’s View, here are some observations of UNC’s defense:

*Carolina’s primary weakness from a season ago was its secondary. There wasn’t another position group to underperform as much as the guys in the defensive backfield. During the most recent practice we attended, there were a lot of new faces, but one familiar player that stood out was safety Ja’Qurious Conley. It's been noted before that he participated in the practice without a knee brace, and I thought he looked explosive and showed ability to close space again, which is a positive sign for the Tar Heels.

Ultimately, when the dust of the offseason settles, I believe Conley and sophomore Will Hardy will be the two to trot out on the field first. DeAndre Boykins' play making during practice also reminded me of the group’s potential, he broke up multiple passes in the end zone.

*UNC’s linebacking core will always be solid as long as Cedric Gray and Power Echols are healthy. One thing that stood out to me is the amount of energy that group has., and I thought it was contagious for the whole defense.

*Carolina’s defensive line will be stout. Talented sophomore Travis Shaw looked noticeably slimmer and light of foot. If he can have a breakout season, that will change a lot of the things about this defense for the positive.

*Myles Murphy looked healthy and more explosive. It will be interesting to see if the group can put it all together, and win the line of scrimmage on a consistent basis. It's been noted many times that Carolina can’t win on the level it wants if the Heels don’t control the trenches. I believe the defensive line is much closer to being the dominating group the team needs than the offensive line.

*And with the Jack position being sometimes similar to a defensive lineman, it allows UNC to get more big bodies on the field. During the practice, Kaimon Rucker was his usual disruptive self. I didn’t officially count, but I would bet that Mack Brown called his name the most for making a defensive play. With him at jack should help the Heels in short yard situations.

I told Andrew I thought Amari Gainer looked like a 90’s linebacker, the one time I watched him during a rep, he put a spin move on Diego Pounds that led to a sack and Pounds going to the sideline. With so few sacks for Carolina last season, the two jacks should be able to offer a pass rushing punch.

The glaring issue with Jack that really stood out at practice, is the lack of depth at Jack. Freshman Tyler Thompson was taking reps at the sport, but he probably is going to need some time to develop his body to be ready to compete in the ACC.

*While Carolina’s defense wasn’t among the elite, the group did play well at times and was let down by the offense. The group has many familiar faces, which is rare in college athletics these days, watching them in practice the group is obviously bought in and another year in Chizik’s system should lead to everyone being one step