CHAPEL HILL – The 2020 football season may be over, but the first leg of the 2021 campaign is just weeks away.
Football rarely stops at the major college level, and for North Carolina that means pulling back some before the Tar Heels get back to it.
UNC concluded the season this past Saturday night with a 41-27 loss to No. 5 Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, FL. Carolina led in the fourth quarter and the game was tied with less than four minutes remaining. The Tar Heels finished the season 8-4 and played three top-10 teams in their final four games, going 1-2 including a 62-26 rout at Miami and a 31-17 loss to Notre Dame.
So, with plenty of players that contributed returning and a highly ranked recruiting class coming in, expectations are high for Mack Brown’s team to take another step forward, perhaps even into the national conversation. Perhaps quarterback Sam Howell laid it out there with his parting message to Carolina’s departing seniors late Saturday night.
“I told our seniors in the locker room, they'll always be remembered as the guys who brought this program back to where we're trying to take it,” he said. “And I promised those guys that we'll be back and we'll be on top next year.”
Before the Tar Heels get to next season, they must first go through welcoming in 12 early enrollees on January 16, offseason conditioning, spring practice, the summer work and fall camp, which will begin in early August.
UNC signed 18 prospects for its class of 2021, though it's 19 if current freshman and starting cornerback Tony Grimes is included, as Brown did during his signing day press conference last month. Six offensive and six defensive players arrive, some of whom will be on the field next September.
Carolina could also welcome one or a few transfers. Brown said the staff decided to hold open a few scholarships just in case, so if the right player is avaialable and wants to be a Tar Heel, the team could add to its roster.
Spring practice begins March 23 and the spring game is April 24, the latest at UNC in a long time, if not ever. A reason for the later date could be that the current recruiting dead period ends April 15, so if prospects are cleared to visit schools, Carolina could have a huge day welcoming targets for the 2022 and 2023 classes.
Even if not, spring will be an important time for the program's growth. The Heels didn’t have one spring practice last year because it was canceled before they geo on the field. Brown is already anxious to get out there.
“I can't wait to get back to spring practice,” he said. “Just sitting out there in my office (Monday) morning, looking into Kenan Stadium and envisioning the excitement we're going to have for our opening ballgame here next year is just really cool.
“And we couldn't have done that two years ago. So, I can't wait for spring, but even more to get fans back in the stands. And it sounds like we'll have a chance to do that next year. I am so excited about that. So pumped.”
As of now, the staff won’t be allowed to watch prospects play in-person in Virginia’s and North Carolina’s spring seasons and nothing has been determined regarding the June camps in Chapel Hill.
“That'll be tougher for evaluations,” Brown said.
And at some point, the program will begin its push for Sam Howell and the Heisman Trophy. One of the early contenders, Howell will not only be the face of the program, but if the Tar Heels have an excellent season, he could be one of the faces of college football next fall.
“Sam Howell’s a superstar that gives us a chance to win every week,” Brown said. “And he should be up for every major award next year, just because he's one of the best quarterbacks in the country that we'll be returning.”
But that’s still eight months away. For now, the staff and players are taking a break and the slow build toward the season will commence in a couple of weeks.
