Peay's View: Four Thoughts About The Tar Heels

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Freshman college football players are often shocked by the difference in competition from when they were in high school. The adjustment for a lot of guys is so significant that first-year players receive limited playing time.

However, when opportunities arrive, some players flash potential that gets supporters of the program excited about the future.

With the rules of the modern-day transfer portal, some programs are putting less emphasis on waiting for freshmen to come around and replacing them with proven commodities. Though the portal makes the punishment for not developing players less severe, no championship program can survive off the portal alone.

It remains vital for coaches to get their high school evaluations correct and develop those players in-house. Fortunately for UNC, the program has stockpiled talented prospects to develop.

So, who are some freshmen in 2022 that showed star potential for the Heels this season?

Will Hardy is one of several examples of 3-star Georgia natives outplaying his high school rankings for the Tar Heels. Standing 6-foot-2 and weighing 200 pounds, Hardy was physically ready to play Power 5 football. In Carolina’s last seven games, Hardy only had one missed tackle, which came in the ACC championship game against Clemson, when he recorded a game-high 13 tackles and finished the game with a 75.3 PFF tackling grade

While the Tar Heel safety showed his ability to tackle, perhaps his ability to make plays when the ball is in the air will be his ultimate reputation as a Tar Heel. Hardy (260 snaps this season) secured his lone career interception to seal the game against Carolina rival Duke.

UNC Coach Mack Brown has said Hardy gets the most interceptions in practice, which led the true freshman to be implemented in the defenses nickel. With the full-time experience from the Clemson game and more to come against Oregon, it's easy to envision a future where Hardy is a star for the Tar Heels.

Earning playing time along the offensive and defensive line is one of the hardest things to achieve for a true freshman. The drastic difference in size and strength from high school competition to Power 5 is usually staggering for young players.

Travis Shaw, however, has something that can't be taught, size. Standing 6-foot-6 and weighing 355 pounds, Shaw, at the very least, showed an ability to be an imposing presence in the middle of the defensive line. When you factor in Shaw’s unique athleticism, however, you are now talking about a guy who could potentially be a once-in-a-generation talent for the Tar Heels.

As Shaw (139 snap, 14 tackles) gets in better shape, fans will see him play with a more consistent motor, and his athleticism will be on display more.

Redshirt freshman Kobe Paysour, just so happens to be second on the depth chart to arguably the best receiver in UNC history in Josh Downs. When Paysour’s number got called, however, he consistently answered. In the two games Downs was injured, Paysour caught 13 receptions on 14 targets, 159 yards, and two touchdowns.

Following Downs' return from injury, Paysour saw a significant dip in his snaps and numbers, only recording 54 yards and one touchdown in the remaining nine games. But now that the record-setting receiver has officially moved on to the NFL, Paysour will have his time starting with the bowl prep to be the top guy on the depth chart, and as long as productivity continues, he will solidify that spot on the depth chart for good.

Arriving in Chapel Hill in June instead of January puts most freshmen six months behind the guys who chose to enroll in school early. However, Omarion Hampton was able to come to town and makeup ground fairly quickly.

While Hampton’s season was the typical rollercoaster ride that comes with freshmen, he showed plenty of signs of his future impact for the Heels. Another first-year player with natural size, Hampton enjoyed success running up the middle.

According to PFF, Hampton averaged 7.7 yards per carry and a long of 58 when running between the center and the left guard. Like most new college running backs, pass protection is an area of improvement for Hampton. But, with extended practice time and reps, Hampton has the physical tools to be the leader of a talented running back room eventually.

In Closing…

The good news for Carolina is that more than four young players showed signs of future success. Some inexperienced players didn’t show many signs in the game, but the program is still high on. If the Heels would like to reach the heights they think their capable of, the growth of the young talented players on the team will be necessary, so Mack Brown can continue to use the portal to supplement his roster instead of entirely depending on it.