Spring Football Notebook: Huzzie's Coverage, Hampton, Slot & More

CHAPEL HILL – The spring football game is fast approaching for North Carolina, as the Tar Heels have been practicing for the last month.

Nineteen new players are on the spring roster, plus several new coaches have been added, so this has been a crucial period for a program trying to improve on its 9-5 finish last season. THI has been there every step of the way fully covering all aspects of the Tar Heels.

Here is a smattering of information accumulated at the Kenan Football Center and practice facility:

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*East Tennessee State transfer Alijah Huzzie is a name UNC fans must get to know. It would be a shock if he isn’t one of the starters at cornerback in the fall. At ETSU, he played mostly man coverage and in a lot of press. UNC defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has said on multiple occasions the Heels will play more press coverage this season. Huzzie said it has increased based on what he learned about last season.

“We’ve been sending more pressures and getting after the quarterbacks more, putting hands in his face and just putting bodies in his face so he can’t sit back there and throw the ball where he wants to,” Huzzie said.

A big difference for Huzzie between UNC’s approach and ETSU’s approach is distinguishable.

“It was more like one-on-one coverage,” he said about the program in which he starred, earning All-America honors and leading all of FCS in interceptions. “There’s more help here from the safeties, and that’s probably the difference here from our (ETSU) defense.”

*UNC’s secondary had some very rough outings last season, and overall did not rank well at season’s end in every statistical area. Chizik has seen considerable improvement back there so far this spring.

“I think we’re making progress,” Chizik said. “Every day I think we’re getting better; I think we’re learning a lot. We have lot of new players back there, so there’s a learning curve. But what I really like is they’re outing them in proximity to make pays. We’re not, right now, making all the ones that we should, but I’m really, really happy with the growth…

“We’re ahead of where we were last year simply because there’s some carryover with some guys that have been here. It’s a work-in-progress every day, but I’m proud of them right now.”

*Omarion Hampton ran for 100-plus yards in two of Carolina’s first three games last season, but his game reps were inconsistent afterward, and his production dropped. New offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey is emphasizing having a more downhill rushing attack. But Hampton, and junior Elijah Green, who started the second half of the season, are matches for the new running scheme.

“He’s a downhill runner. I think what we do in the run game really fits him, Elijah as well,” Lindsey said. “Those two guys are similar in that respect. I haven’t seen much of Caleb (Hood) yet, he’s been limited.

“But Omarion is extremely talented. He’s explosive, he’s big, he’s physical. He’s one of those guys that when he hits you, you go backwards. He’s a heavy guy, but he’s also got the ability to run away from you.”

*Former Coastal Carolina standout Willie Lampkin, the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year, credits some of his success at the line of scrimmage on his wrestling background in high school. He finished 47-0 with one state championship and a second-place finish as a junior.

“It definitely helps me keep my leverage, keeps my feet going,” Lampkin said. “Because when you’re in a tie up, I don’t want to have my feet dead because if my feet are dead, I’m definitely getting taken down. And I don’t want to get taken down. So, I want to keep my feet moving so I can stay in the battle.”

*Kobe Paysour caught 29 passes for 324 yards and four touchdowns last season, but most of his production came when he was UNC’s main sot receiver in games Josh Downs missed. Twenty of his catches came versus Appalachian State, Georgia State, and Oregon. Three of his four TDs came in those games, too.

With Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum also a slot, and quite accomplished, Paysour is also working at wideout during spring practice. UNC Coach Mack Brown has said they want the best players on the field, even is it means shuffling things around some, particularly at receiver. Paysour discussed playing slot and wideout in practice.

“I’ve been playing both sides,” he said. “Slot is my primary position, but playing outside, I’m getting used to it. It’s coming along. It’s kind of difficult; it’s more difficult than the slot with the coverage and you’ve got press. It’s different.”