CHAPEL HILL – When one man goes down with an injury in football, a door opens for another player to step in and prove his worth.

That scenario hit North Carolina’s offensive line last October during a win at Miami. Jon Heck, an experienced senior offensive tackle at the time, suffered a concussion versus the Hurricanes and was replaced by then-redshirt freshman William Sweet.

Sweet arrived at UNC after a stellar high school career in Jacksonville, FL, but he hadn’t played much through UNC’s first six contests. But he was on the field for more than 40 offensive snaps at Miami and a week later started at Virginia.

It really wasn’t a big deal to Sweet, it was a simple matter of exercising the team’s mantra.

“Our unit has been so close in terms of learning positions in and out and learning your role in and out,” he said. “We have a motto ‘Next man up,’ and we’re only as strong as our weakest link.”

The Tar Heels went on to handle Virginia with ease as Sweet registered 11 knockdowns that afternoon in Charlottesville. In all, he played in each of UNC’s 13 games and also turned in impressive performances versus Georgia Tech (88 percent efficiency rating) and N.C. State (85 percent). He had 8 knockdowns versus the Canes.

This season, however, the 6-7, 300 pounder is the likely starter at right tackle, and he’s drawing from the experience gained when Heck was down and even after he returned, when they shared the duties some.

“Unfortunately, Jon Heck went down, it was a next-thing mentality the next man had to go in and keep the same flow of the game,” said Sweet, who is clearly humble.

Sweet is part of a rebuilt offensive line, though having Florida graduate transfer center Cam Dillard entrenched as one of the starters and the man calling most of the signals for the offensive line has been a boon for the unit and the Tar Heels.

“He’s been a really great jell for us. It’s been a tremendous benefit for us,” Sweet said. “We’re lucky to get a hold of him and have him as a part of our unit. From the outside looking in, if you would have come inside of our room and see how we interact with each other, you wouldn’t be able to tell that he just enrolled there. So all of us are really lucky to have him as a key member to our success.”

That’s a terrific sign for the group. Chemistry is so very important, and when a new guy comes in from a program such as Florida and everyone knows he’s only there for a season, it could create some divides within the room.

But Sweet says that’s not even close to what’s taken place since the day Dillard arrived.

“He’s been a really great jell for us. It’s been a tremendous benefit for us. We’re lucky to get a hold of him and have him as a part of our unit. From the outside looking in, if you would have come inside of our room and see how we interact with each other, you wouldn’t be able to tell that he just enrolled there.

“So all of us are really lucky to have him as a key member to our success.”

As will be Sweet. He came in ballyhooed, now it’s his time.