Wiser Hollins Taking On New Challenge

CHAPEL HILL – One of the most beneficial things young college football players can experience is seeing themselves on film in actual game situations.

Most watch game film in high school but few actually learn how to properly do so until they get into college. It quickly becomes an invaluable tool that accelerates their growth and often confirms what their position coaches are telling them.

DeAndre Hollins got that opportunity as a true freshman last season. He played in five games, two of which were at cornerback, in which he played 54 snaps. He was in on 11 special teams plays, too, for a season total of 65 snaps.

While that may not seem like a lot to most fans, it gave Hollins 65 opportunities to learn and improve both on the field and then in the film room.

“I look back and only look back to see my mistakes (and) learn from them,” Hollins said. “When I look at film, that’s all I’m looking for, critiquing myself.”

Being honest with one’s self is part of what the video process does for players, and once they have a grasp on what their greatest skills and weaknesses are, they will improve at a faster clip. Hollins has done that this offseason, and he’s impressed the new North Carolina coaching staff so much he got in work during spring practice at two positions.

“I’ve never played nickel, but I like so I’m working for that spot,” said Hollins, who played only cornerback on defense a season ago.

He still got plenty of work at corner and expects to do both when fall camp opens in August. He’s in the mix at corner, too. Good thing, given that Carolina ended spring practice with just five corners available. As for nickel, though, Hollins loves it. And he may be a bit surprised by how much he’s enjoyed the position.

“Nickel plays a huge role,” he said, referring to defensive coordinator Jay Bateman’s scheme. “I feel like the quarterback looks at me more than he looks at anyone else on the field. It’s real different playing on the inside than the outside; I’ve never been on the inside like that so I’m taking on tight ends and linemen.

“You’ve got to be on top of your guard, you can’t be out there lacking.”

Being on top of things and playing with a high degree of spirit is something that has run throughout the UNC program since Mack Brown took over late last November. The Tar Heels had won just five total games over the previous two seasons necessitating a change.

And that change was welcomed by the players and it hasn’t disappointed them. It’s also a reason players have embraced switching positions or having their roles tweaked.

“The energy is different,” Hollins said. “The coaches bring a lot of energy even before (practice) like in the meetings rooms. Everyone’s engaged (and) locked in. It starts from the time we get to the team meeting to the time we’re in practice (or workouts).”

And it carries over onto the field, especially for the nickels. Trey Morrison is the starter and one of the team’s best players. He’s also a heck of a talker, Brown said a few times this spring.

Hollins can talk it up, too. That’s another reason he’s enjoying working at nickel.

“Nickels talk to everybody,” he said, smiling. “We talk to the safety, we talk to the corner, we talk to the linebackers, so we’re just constantly talking. Every play, we’re talking up to the snap.”

And with Hollins’ getting everything he can out of each snap from practice on film, his transition has been made even easier.