UNC Spring Football Game Preview

After a month of practice, UNC will take the national stage for their annual spring football game today at 3:00 pm. The Tar Heels will showcase several experienced, talented units such as; the offensive line (returning all 5 starters from last year), the defense (10 out of 11 defensive starters returning), and one of the nations best quarterbacks in Sam Howell. Along with a plethora of returning experience, North Carolina also boast the 13th ranked recruiting class in the country; hence the unprecedented expectations going into the season.

Despite all the returning talent; there are still several positions that will experience a major drop off in production, due to the NFL draft. That means that some young, talented, and inexperienced underclassman will be in competition to replace the lost productivity. This in turn gives Tar Heel football fans four very intriguing matchups and players to pay attention to in today’s spring game.

The top 4 most intriguing positions and players to keep an eye on today are:

1. (Running Backs) With Javonte Williams and Michael Carter (combined 2,385 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns last season) NFL bound; how will Phil Longo attempt to replace that level of production? Keep an eye out for Tennessee transfer Ty Chandler. Against top tier SEC defenses Chandler amassed 111 receiving yards and 456 rushing yards. Having a multi-purpose pass catching running back would be a great compliment for Sam Howell, as he builds chemistry with the receiving corps.
2. (Wide Receivers) The wide receiver corps raise a similar question, due to the departure of Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome (109 receptions and 1783 receiving yards last season) for the NFL. Mack Brown has went on the record that Josh Downs has been the best receiver in practice, but my sleeper breakout pick is Dyami Brown’s younger brother Khafre Brown. The speedster averaged a massive 22.5 yards per reception last year. If Beau Corrales can stay healthy, in addition to Josh Downs creating mismatched in the slot; then expect Sam Howell and Khafre Brown to connect for some big plays this season.
3. (Defensive Line) In the aforementioned fact above, Defensive Coordination Jay Bateman has 10 out of 11 starters returning this season. The unit as a whole should be stacked, but I am most intrigued to see the progression of 5 star multi-sport athlete Keeshawn Silver. The #1 high school player in North Carolina has similar size and athleticism to another multi-sport athlete named Julius Peppers. It should be fun watching Silver, Tomari Fox and Tomon Fox wreak havoc on opponents offensive line. Another name to keep in mind is freshman Jahvaree Ritzie. Mack Brown has raved about Silver and Ritzie, stating “…they both could be superstars…”
4. (Quarterbacks) With Sam Howell being the first quarterback in UNC history that has a legitimate chance to win the Heisman award, the question mark lies within the battle for the backup quarterback spot. Freshman Drake Maye will be in competition with sophomore Jacolby Criswell, but this is an intriguing matchup due to the fact Sam Howell will certainly be gone after this season. 4 star Drake Maye would absolutely be the fan favorite, if he can live up to his family name. Keep an eye on the young quarterback for future purposes.