CHAPEL HILL – First it was Hybrid. Then it was Jack. Now it’s Rush.
Rush?
That’s the name of the pseudo outside linebacker/defensive end position on North Carolina’s defense. The spot has now had three names in Mack Brown Part II, the latest coming from first-year defensive coordinator Geoff Collins.
It’s a hybrid of this, a hybrid of that, and now that more length is woven into the position, sometimes evening rotating between three guys who’ve had their hands on the ground, it’s a hybrid of the hybrids. Make sense?
In short, it’s the Rush position.
“For my job personally, there’s not a lot of differences in what I have to do,” said Kaimon Rucker, UNC’s starting Rush who was second-team All-ACC last season playing the Jack position for former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik. “I’m still just a hybrid d-end/outside linebacker to where that I’m heavily involved in the run fit, but as well I drop in coverage.
“It’s not too different from what I’ve been doing. Of course, it’s a little bit of a change in different terminology, different vernacular how Coach Chizik had it previously. But my job’s not too different.”
From afar, it might not look all that different to most people. Rucker, or whoever is the Rush in certain alignments, will line up similar to a year ago. But there is more pass coverage involved. Perhaps tight ends that block and release, wheel routs with running backs, or short outs when the star position is occupied with something else.
Rucker, however, is one of the top pass rushers in college football. And Collins is all about placing guys in position to most succeed. Yes, he will start at Rush and get the majority of his snaps there, but he will have a hand on the ground tasked with getting around, or as UNC Coach Mack Brown has said, blowing right over offensive tackles on his way to quarterbacks.
Impressing Collins didn’t take long for Rucker.
“He stands out,” Collins said. “He was one of the first guys I talked to when I took the job. Just how focused he is, how much he studies. He’s in there with (defensive line) Coach Ted (Monachino)… Just how much he pours into it wanting to be great, and it’s going to pay off."
So, Carolina needs some other players to gain the staff’s trust to step into that spot when Rucker is getting a breather or in a more conventional defensive end role.
“We’ve got to find a guy behind Kaimon at the (Rush) position,” Brown said, noting the urgency in achieving the mission.
What’s interesting, and long-term will help the Tar Heels, is Rucker actually missed the last seven practices of the spring. He had surgery on a finger, so that opened the door for some younger players to get needed reps and gain trust from the staff.
Redshirt freshman Tyler Thompson’s name came up a few times in the spring, as did classmate Jaybron Harvery’s, though he got dinged up and missed some work. Collins and the staff also got creative, moving length in to the role as well.
Remember when Des Evans was woefully out of position his first two years playing the hybrid (same) spot under Jay Bateman? He’s back getting work as a specialist at Rush. In addition, redshirt sophomore Beau Atkinson is also getting work there. He actually has more packages at Rush than Evans.
And, to really throw teams off while utilizing everyone’s strengths, Collins says all three will occasionally be on the field at the same time. The prospect of that excited Evans.
“It helps a lot because we can rotate me, Kaimon and Beau at Rush and end, or we can all be on the field at the same time,” Evans said. “We’re really cross training right now, too, so we can all be on the field at the same time. It helps a lot.”
At some point, the Hybrid/Jack/Rush position just might get another name. A simpler one that truly personifies Rucker, and certainly the other players noted. And that’s Football Player.
