CHAPEL HILL – Spring football concluded Saturday with North Carolina’s annual April game, and Monday, UNC Coach Mack Brown met with the media to discuss each position group, and field a variety of questions from the media about his team.
The press conference lasted for just over an hour. Here are some notes from what the Tar Heels’ coach had to say:
*Player spring exit meetings started Monday and will last a few days. With that, Brown said at the time of his presser, he and the staff didn’t expect anyone else to enter the transfer portal.
*Brown said everyone who is currently injured will be ready to go by the start of fall camp.
*He also said that anyone not in the one-two on the depth chart must play three special teams in order to make road trips. The ACC allows a maximum of 70 players that can travel to road games.
OFFENSE
*Brown said he and the staff liked a lot of what they saw from QBs Conner Harrell and Max Johnson.
“We feel like both of them can play today, and that’s a blessing. And both of them can win.”
He also said both must be more consistent, and each day he didn’t know who was in front because it flipped over and over. In part because they played well, but also because there were some struggles.
The staff likes Mike Merdingerand has confidence he will develop nicely over time.
*Brown assured that RB Omarion Hampton isn’t going into the portal, as some illegitimate “media” outlets have reported as possible.
“He’s definitely staying here, so that’s good moving forward.”
He said the staff “really likes the room.”
About USC transfer Darwin Barlow: “Has gotten better every day of spring. He looked really good in the spring game.”
About true freshman Davion Gause: “He plays older this spring… He’s a good runner, he’s got good ball security, he’s 215 pounds, he’s very physical, he pass protects better than most any young running backs I’ve seen coming in. He’s got really good hands, and he plays older.”
Brown said they’d love to get Caleb Hood healthy because he’s “really good” and that walk-on Major Byrd has officially moved to the backfield.
*Carolina is loaded with talent at receiver, and Brown suggested the older guys who were in red jerseys this spring better keep a look out before the young ones are coming.
He did say Nate McCollum had an outstanding spring, but really gushed about sophomore Chris Culliver, who was dinged up two days before the spring game and didn’t play, but he’s fine. Brown couldn’t say enough good things about freshman Jordan Shipp, who will get on the field and could challenge one of the veterans for a starting job. He appears that good and Brown was obviously that impressed.
He said, Shipp has “about as good a hands as” anyone he’s coached.
Figuring out the top six in that room is going to be a challenge for WR coach Lonnie Galloway.
*Brown has maintained all spring the offensive line is better than a year ago and more physical. He said the group has depth, and finding seven or eight that can play won’t be such huge task. His comments about some in that room:
-North Texas transfer Howard Sampson is huge and has exceeded original expectations.
-True freshman Jani Norwood split the spring playing on both lines. He’s been moved to the OL, but if he wants some reps on the DL in August, he will get some.
-True freshman Aiden Banfield has done very well at mostly guard, and Brown says he will play in the fall.
-Georgia transfer Austin Blaske can play anywhere, though he went to UNC because he was told he’d only have to play guard or center. He has been at center all spring and played very well.
-Willie Lampkin “has turned into a great leader.”
-Malik McGowan made a strong push this spring and spent a decent amount of time in recent weeks working with the blue team. He’d probably start the opener if the Heels played today.
-Trevyon Green had a terrific spring and got better as it went along.
-Zach Rice has finally smoothed out the technique of playing guard and made a strong push this spring.
-Georgia Tech transfer Jakiah Leftwich will be in CH in May, and Division III offensive lineman Zac Greenberg from Muhlenberg College was at the spring game and has been to UNC a few times watching practice. He also arrives in May.
*Only two scholarship tight ends got work this spring, and Jake Johnson ended up missing sometime with an injury. Brown said the room will be fully healthy when fall camp begins.
DEFENSE
*Up front, Brown likes the progress he’s seen from most of the group. Plus, the Rush position (formerly Jack) has more d-line elements to it. Some of what Brown said about the defensive front:
-“Des Evans had by far his best spring” and looks more like a pro each day.
-Beau “Atkinson can also play on the blue team.”
-True freshman Daniel Anderson played in the spring game at the more conventional defensive end as well as the Rush position. UNC plans on using a four-man front at times, which marks a different in the Rush position from the Jack one. Rush/OLBs are also upright at the line of scrimmage more than Jacks were.
-Redshirt freshmen Joel Starlings and Rodney Lora progressed much more than expected, and Starlings looks like he can be in the rotation in the fall.
-Senior Jahvaree Ritzie fits more into Geoff Collins’ defense than the previous one because he slides around the gaps he lines up, showing his versatility. He’s “had his best spring by far.”
*At linebacker, Power Echols is who he is, and has become more vocal. But Brown really likes what he’s seen from sophomore Amare Campbell, who is the clear starter in the other spot.
“Amare Campbell has been really been good, he plays older than he is.”
-Redshirt freshman Caleb Lavallee has progressed, as have Michael Short, and even Cade Law, a former baseball player at Vanderbilt, who played QB in high school. His brother, Crews Law, is enrolling in June and was highly touted in high school.
-So was true freshman Ashton Woods, who came in January and had a terrific spring. He got dinged up before the spring game and didn’t play, but he did everything well, and it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him on the two-deep in the fall.
The staff was “very impressed with Ashton Woods.”
Brown says they have a lot of guys in the linebacker room, but “have to determine” the two main backups.
*The secondary is deep, Brown has said all spring, and talented. Every time the back of the defense comes up, Brown speaks for a while. Seemingly everyone at corner, safety, and star can play, some are just more experienced. A couple are high-end players, such as senior corner Alijah Huzzie.
-Opposite Huzzie in the spring game was East Mississippi Community College transfer Tyrane Stewart, who goes by Dooley. Marcus Allen was out for the spring, so it’s unlikely Stewart will start, but he got a ton of Power 4 reps this spring speeding up his development.
-Brown loves what Stick Lane has done at safety, and also says NC State transfer Jakeen Harris and junior Will Hardy had outstanding springs, too. He likes the young ones (Jaiden Patterson, Jalon Thompson, Malcolm Ziglar) there, too.
-DeAndre Boykins is working some at star, but is mostly a safety now. He did all of the drills this spring but had no contact of any kind, as he continues improving from an ACL tear.
-Also at corner are RS frosh Ty Adams and newbie Zion Ferguson.
-Kaleb Cost practiced three times this spring, spending the rest of his time on the baseball team. He will compete with Tre Miller in August for the starting job at star. Freshman Ty White is also working at star.
*The kicking game is a concern. Placekicker Noah Burnette was not consistent this spring, and punter Tom Maginness still struggled quite a bit. Class of 2024 signee Lucas Osada arrives in June and is a highly regarded placekicker and punter. He will have an opportunity to with one or both jobs.
