CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina Coach Mack Brown met with the media Tuesday morning following the Tar Heels’ ninth practice of the spring and hit on numerous topics, including giving a general overview of where the team stands at this juncture of spring practice.
In addition, Brown announced two program hirings and some news about the spring game.
Above is a video of Brown’s presser and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:
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*UNC has a new Director of Football Performance Nutrition, as Ema Thake started in that position about a week ago. Thake comes from the University of Washington where she had the same role but for the entire athletic department. Now, this is her first time doing this solely for football, and it’s also the first time UNC football has had its own nutritionist.
“She has very similar ideas as Kelsey Gomes that we had here before,” Brown said. “But this is a big step for us because it’s the first time we have just had a nutritionist for football only. So, Ema will be a big help.”
*Former Tar Heel and NFL player Da’Norris Searcy now has a role in the program as its Director of Student-Athlete Development, which we posted earlier. Searcy’s name is on the defensive backs room inside the Kenan Football Center, courtesy of a donation he and his wife made last year. Searcy played at UNC from 2007-2010.
“We’re very, very excited about Da’Norris,” Brown said. “I knew of him but I had not met him. Eight-year guy in the NFL… He’s been in the places and done the things that all these guys wanna do, so he’ll be a tremendous mentor for them.”
*The spring game is April 9 at Kenan Stadium, and Brown said Tuesday morning the program will honor junior wide receiver Tylee Craft who is battling cancer.
“Because the players wanted to, we’re going to rename the spring game “Tylee Strong,” and get Tylee, if he feels like it, to come out and be an honorary captain for the game. He’s been out to a couple of practices, and we’re looking at some other special young people that are fighting through some things like Tylee to come out with him.”
*The spring game starts at 3 PM and will be aired on the ACC Network. It’s a two-hour window for the network.
“We’d like to encourage all of the fans to come out,” Brown said. “It’ll be after the national championship game in basketball. We’d love to have everybody come out and watch and see what next year’s team looks like.”
*The Tar Heels held a scrimmage this past Saturday and also used it to work on some set scenarios.
“Our last scrimmage on Saturday was good,” Brown said. “We have guys like Cam Kelly and Gio Biggers who have not been able to hit during practice. But we let them scrimmage basically in a yellow jersey along with Storm Duck. Storm is doing a lot more now and we feel like he can probably be turned loose and let him go.
“So, we went with basically thud which is everything is full speed without tackling for the first thirty plays and then the last forty-five plays were a full speed scrimmage that I thought went really well.”
*The center position was not a strength last season considering injuries prevented Brian Anderson, and for the most part, Quiron Johnson, from ever being healthy. Not only are both players either healthy or are getting there, but UNC brought in Miami transfer Corey Gaynor as well. Gaynor started for a few years for the Hurricanes, and while he can also play guard, he is now concentrating on playing center. The competition there is intense.
“Very pleased with Corey Gaynor,” Brown said. “He and Brian Anderson are both playing at center right now, so that’s going to give us depth. We know we got two really good guys that can play there and Quiron Johnson has played there.
“So. we really got three centers where going into last year’s game without Brian Anderson and then Q got hurt we only had one and he was limited. So, we feel like our depth is much better there.”
*The wide receiver position is currently a concern to Brown. It has become quite thin for various reasons, notably injuries and transfers, so only six players are working out there even though Brown says the optimum number is really 13.
“We are very limited at wide receiver with our numbers especially with Tylee being out,” Carolina’s coach said. “But we are also working Bryson Nesbit some at receiver. So, he is working in the slot, working on the outside.
“So, he is working at tight end and wide receiver. Josh Downs and Antoine Green are doing well and JJ Jones and Kobe Paysour are really working hard to get some snaps as well.”
*Among the early enrollees Brown discussed Tuesday: Sebatsian Cheeks has been a pleasant surprise at linebacker; Beau Atkinson has been moved to the power end position; and offensive tackle Zach Rice has been very good but isn’t yet ready for regular action on the field.
The same goes for defensive tackle Travis Shaw, but he is also the newcomer Brown spoke about the most.
“He is so big,” Brown said. “When you put him on the center (at nose guard), he’s just hard to block. He was a basketball player – could dunk a basketball – he’s so athletic. When he hurt his shoulder (last year), he got too big so he’s fighting to lose some weight.
“But when you put him in the middle, we were talking today, you have to have two people to block him, one guy’s not going to block him. And that then releases your linebackers quicker or gets some other people free.
“He is what you always look like to be that nose tackle. He’s got a lot to learn, just like Zach Rice. They’re both tremendous young players. Neither one of them are ready to go right now for long periods of time, but they both are great signees, and I can’t wait to watch them play.”
Stay with THI for more coverage from Brown's presser.
*Deana King contributed to this report.
