So Many Question Marks This Close To The Opener New For Brown

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*Note: Full video of Mack Brown's post-practice interview posted below this article.

CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown didn’t name a starting quarterback Tuesday morning, nor did he declare any winners of other position battles, even though North Carolina isn’t too far from formally entering game week for the 2022 football season.

Players continue competing for initial pecking order for the opener each day. Question marks abound around the Kenan Football Center, even though the Tar Heels are just 11 days away from playing an actual game.

“I’ve never been this close to a season with so many question marks,” Brown said following practice at the Koman Practice Complex.

The competition between third-year sophomore Jacolby Criswell and redshirt freshman Drake Maye at quarterback has gained the most attention since fall camp commenced July 29, and it will carry into the weekend. It isn’t the only such battle that will, though, Brown said.

Brown said last week he and quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Phil Longo hoped to make a decision by this coming weekend and inform the media Monday during his weekly game-week press conference in advance of the opener August 27 versus Florida A&M.

That preference remains on track, though Criswell and Maye remain very close.

“They’re both good, and it really hasn’t changed that much,” Brown said.

The players are so close, Brown is comfortable with either one running the team. But one of them must take the first offensive snap versus the Rattlers, so that decision is certainly coming.

“It is a situation where both of them are good enough,” Brown said. “So, if we started either one of them, I’d feel good.”

But someone must take the first offensive snap versus the Rattlers.

“We’ll choose one, I’m planning on doing it Monday,” Brown said. “It could not happen, but I think so, that’s what we want to do. And we do feel like the one that isn’t chosen as the starter needs to stay ready to play because it’s so close.

“They’re both going to play some because with young quarterbacks, somebody’s going to struggle at some point, (and) you’re going to take him out and put the other one in, and that’s his chance to shine, too.’

Quarterback is just one of several noteworthy situations still up in the air. Among the other position groups needing clarity: running back; wide receiver; right tackle and perhaps right guard; backup spots in the secondary, plus sorting out still along the loaded defensive line.

The running back room took a hit when senior British Brooks was lost for the season after suffering a lower body injury Saturday night, and with sophomore Caleb Hood missing plenty of time this month, the four players jockeying for spots in the rotation have been and are juniors D.J. Jones and Elijah Green as well as true freshman George Pettaway and Omarion Hampton.

The quandary for the staff is determining how much Pettaway and Hampton can handle, especially Hampton, who arrived this summer and didn’t have spring practice.

“The British Brooks injury being a season-ending injury stirs up the running back room,” Brown said. “So, we’re still looking at what that’s going to look like in 11 days.”

Josh Downs set UNC single-season records with 101 receptions for 1,335 yards last season, and senior Justin Olson played 491 snaps, though he had just nine receptions. After him, UNC has only five healthy scholarship players, three are second-year guys who barley got on the field last season and two true freshmen, the most talented of which just arrived this summer. Andre Greene’s name keeps coming up when teammates are asked which players are standing out.

Doc Chapman had a good camp, too, and continued making progress where he likely will see some time, too.

“The young wide receivers are both talented, they’re both good,” Carolina’s coach said. “Dre Greene’s made some plays. He’s tall, he can run, and then you’ve got Doc Chapman, who’s a lot like Dazz Newsome. He’s fast, he’s quick, he’s kind of a running back that can play wide receiver. He’s doing really wonderful things in the slot.”

The right side of the offensive line remains in limbo.

Right tackle Spencer Rolland arrived in June after graduating from Harvard, and while adapting to the speed of the players at this level has been part of his process, he has made tremendous progress. But he missed Tuesday’s practice because he was at one of his classes in UNC’s graduate business program.

True freshman Zach Rice is in the mix, but missed five days last week with an upper body situation, and now true freshman Trevyon Green is dealing with an upper body situation, too. In addition, fifth-year senior William Barnes, who has worked at both spots on the right side, also missed some practice time. So, third-year sophomore Cayden Baker has worked some at right guard and tackle.

“It’s forced us to look at everybody more than we would have,” Brown said, referring to the issues on the right side of the line.”

While having a great deal of talent in every element of each room is certainly a major positive for the Tar Heels, many of the players are still young and inexperienced. The staff doesn’t have much game evidence to go by.

“One of the things we’re facing is we’re not sure how they’re going to play in games, because a lot of these guys haven’t played in games,” Brown said. “We’re having to make decisions based off what we’ve seen in the spring and fall with them competing with each other.

“A lot of coaches are making decisions right now off of what they’ve seen in games. We’re gonna see it when the fans see it next week, because some people practice better and some people play better.”

So, with as much as the staff has learned about the roster, so many questions remaining hanging above, and it may take a few games before each position group is fully settled.