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CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina linebackers Noah Taylor and Cedric Gray met with the media following the Tar Heels’ second practice of the spring Tuesday morning.
Taylor, a graduate transfer from Virginia, and Gray, the team’s leading tackler last season, were asked plenty of questions about the new defense under Gene Chizik, elements of their individual games and roles this spring, the true freshmen on that side of the ball, and more.
Here are videos of both interviews along with some notes and pulled quotes from both players:
Noah Taylor, Graduate, OLB
*Taylor has been at UNC now for nearly two months, so he’s still getting acclimated to things. But so far so good for former Virginia Cavalier, who registered 169 total tackles, including 28.5 for a loss of yardage, 12,5 of which were sacks, in three seasons on Charlottesville.
“I’ve adjusted really well,” he said. “The guys have been really open showing me around, how they do things, what the standard is around here. So, it’s been really good.”
*Taylor isn’t the only veteran player learning a new defense because he’s in a new program. All of the Tar Heels are, as Gene Chizik is installing something quit different from what the Heels ran under previous defensive coordinator Jay Bateman. Taylor described what the defense is all about.
“We’re going to play like there’s 12 guys on the field. I’ll put it like that,” Taylor said.
Asked to expand on that, specifically with his “Jack” position, Taylor offered up a little bit more.
“Guys at our position, we’re going to get to the quarterback, we’re going to make a lot of plays,” Taylor replied. “It’s simple. It’s a really good position to be at.”
*Taylor and experience UNC holdover Chris Collins are the top two guys in the new “Jack” position group, that’s the staff’s term for the new outside linebacker position. It is a departure from the “hybrid” OL used in Bateman’s defense. There are some similarities, as college football defenses everywhere are using hybrid-types, but there are clear differences, too.
“It’s like a glorified defensive end,” Taylor said. “My job is in coverage, a couple of up-and-unders, really just rushing the passer and just get into an edge. That’s the main responsibility.”
Cedric Gray, Junior ILB
*Gray took over one of the inside linebacker spots a couple of games into the season and ended up leading the Tar Heels with 100 tackles. He had 7.5 TFLs, 2.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. So, what has been Gray’s focus for improvement in the months since the season ended?
“Probably one of the biggest things I worked on last year was using my hands to get off blockers,” Gray said. “I recently met with Chazz (Surratt) and talking to him, he was just talking about looking over my film from this past season. And (he) mentioned I got better at using my hands, but some situations where I could have used them better, or the way I lined up, where I hold them and all that.
“So, I think that’s the biggest thing that I’ve been holding onto this offseason.”
*Like Taylor, Gray was asked about Chizik’s defense, but even more questions because he could offer some differences from what Bateman ran.
“I would say simple and fast,” Gray said. “I think that’s the two biggest things he’s (been) very vocal to us. He wants us to be very simple and have great fundamentals so we can allow our talent to kind of do the rest and take care of the rest of the job.
“Just getting in, learning the playbook, and really just diving into it.”
*Yes, it is a significant change from what the Heels previously employed.
“I would say yeah,” he said. “We’ve changed a few things around in how we run certain coverages and our fronts, and stuff like that. It’s still a little early, we don’t exactly have a lot in right now. It’s definitely a little bit different than Jay’s defense for sure.”
*Gray also said the vibe around the team is different right now. The Heels aren’t ballyhooed anywhere, and they are coming off a very disappointing season. But having a new defense, which isn’t fully installed yet, and an altered tone around the program have enhanced the vibe.
“Speaking on the defensive side of the ball, it’s definitely got a different vibe,” Gray said. “We have a new D coordinator, we’re implementing a new defense, we kind of doing different drills defensively. So, it definitely has a different vibe to it for sure.”
Vibe more urgency, focus…?
“Definitely a sense of urgency,” Gray said. “Coach Chizik is all about intensity and giving it our all every rep, and being very fundamentally sound every rep. And I’m enjoying it. I think it’s something that we really need and it can really help us on the defensive side of the ball.”
