University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heel Monthly: Spring Football Practice Breakdown
April 17, 2002 | Football
Tar Heel Monthly is a new monthly publication devoted to the stories and personalities behind UNC sports. For more information, visit www.tarheelmonthly.com.
The following is excerpted from the most recent issue of the magazine.
By Adam Lucas
A Look At The Offense
Offensive line: A unit that always seems to be a question mark in Chapel Hill suffered a blow when starting left tackle Greg Woofter decided to stop playing football. His replacement at that position--one of the most important on the line because it protects the blind side of a right-handed quarterback--is rising sophomore Skip Seagraves (6-5, 282). He's learning under the tutelage of new offensive line coach Hal Hunter, who replaces Robbie Caldwell.
"There's a lot of pressure trying to perform every day," said Seagraves, whose father Al is the football coach at Elon. "Spring ball is all about fighting for position. We've got a bunch of other guys, and Coach Hunter says he's going to put the best five players on the field. Somebody might practice at guard but step in at tackle. You have to play hard every down."
One of those players making a position switch is sophomore Jason Brown (6-3, 311), who set offseason Carolina weight lifting records and will replace Adam Metts at center. Brown, who finished in the top 10 academically of his high school class and attended the prestigious Governor's School, would appear to be a perfect fit for center. That position requires a cerebral approach, since in addition to snapping the ball, Brown will be required to make all the line calls and blocking adjustments.
"I've seen our offensive line communicate better in practices than they did all of last year," Bunting said. "That's a tribute to them and to what Hal Hunter is doing with them."
Tight end: The Tar Heels are at least two deep at tight end, an underutilized position in 2001 that should increase in importance in 2002.
Senior Zach Hilton (6-7, 276) and Kentucky transfer Bobby Blizzard (6-3, 276) were locked in one of the closest battles of the spring. Hilton served as Carolina's primary pass-catching tight end last year, giving way to the graduated Doug Brown when the Heels needed a run-blocker. This year, he hopes to stay on the field in all situations.
"I've always had pretty good strength," Hilton said. "But I'm really tall, so being a good blocker has a lot to do with getting my hips down and my hands in the right position."
Blizzard arrived at Carolina out of shape, and played more upright at Kentucky in more of a wide receiver role. As a Tar Heel, he will be asked to get in a true tight end's stance instead of being split wide.
The most productive result for the team might be if Blizzard and Hilton both win the role.
"I'd like for them to be so good that we have to play two tight ends a lot," tight ends coach Ken Browning said.
Wide receiver: Carolina's deepest position on the field, the Tar Heels will have a bevy of weapons at receiver if they can get everyone healthy. Senior Bosley Allen returned from suspension only to fracture his foot, but he should be ready for the fall. Brandon Russell (5-11, 190) is also recovering from injury.
Eleven different Tar Heels caught a grand total of 218 passes in 2001. The hands that snagged 170 of them return this year, plus some talented players who redshirted last year and incoming freshmen with big reputations. Sam Aiken (6-2, 205) continued to evolve into the Heels' most consistent target, and Chesley Borders (6-0, 190) will provide an effective complement at the other receiver spot.
"We've taken the leadership of this team on ourselves," Borders said. "If we win or lose, it's going to be on us."
The two seniors should have plenty of help. Pollock will find a way to get on the field, and Harry Lewis (6-0, 197) made some plays in spring practice. Carolina also has some incoming freshman talent at wide receiver, forcing Brewer and offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill to find a way to get as many talented players as possible on the field.
"If we can stay healthy, playing four and five receivers at a time is in the plan," Brewer said.
Running back: Andre Williams (6-0, 215) missed spring practice after having back surgery but should be ready for the fall. That left the tailback position up to a battle between Willie Parker (5-11, 201) and Jacque Lewis (5-10, 184), both of whom had their moments in 2001. Parker started the season well last year, including a 77-yard touchdown run against Maryland, but his production tailed off in the middle of the season. Williams ended the year with twice as many carries as the junior from Clinton, but Parker got the last word, running for 131 yards in the Peach Bowl.
"I never felt like anyone was forgetting about me," Parker said. "A lot of little things were going on off the field, but the coaches knew what was going on, and it's all behind me now."
Sophomore Madison Hedgecock (6-3, 250), who shuttled between three different positions early in his Tar Heel career, has solidly established himself as the starting fullback.
Quarterback: The return of Darian Durant is documented elsewhere in this issue, but he won't be able to come in and immediately reclaim his starting job. C.J. Stephens (6-3, 216), a transfer from Florida, was impressive last year during the season he was required to sit out by NCAA transfer regulations, and he quickly assumed the starting job vacated by Durant during the incumbent's one-month absence from the team. Even before Durant's return, Stephens was making precise, sharp throws in practice that haven't been seen in Chapel Hill since at least the days of Chris Keldorf.
"C.J. is kind of a gym rat kind of guy," Bunting said. "He loves to go out there and compete."
He'll get a chance to compete now that Durant is back. The rising sophomore from Florence, SC has never been the most impressive quarterback in practice, but he has an uncanny knack for making plays in a game. In contrast, Stephens has looked terrific in practice but has never taken a snap for the Tar Heels.
Until he steps under center against Miami of Ohio, it's still up in the air whether his physical tools translate more to Mike Thomas or to Keldorf.
"Having someone out there to push you every single day is very important," Stephens said. "We all have to go out there, motivate ourselves and motivate each other. If competition can help us do that, then we need as much competition as we can get."
Special teams: Significant attention has been given to the personnel losses on defense, but one subtraction that could be just as important is the loss of the automatic right leg of Jeff Reed. Junior Dan Orner, a transfer from Michigan State, will take over Reed's kicking duties. Orner sat out last year due to transfer rules and never kicked in a game for the Spartans.
John Lafferty will be Orner's holder and the starting punter. He averaged 39.6 yards per punt last year, landing 15 kicks inside the opponent's 20-yard line and having none blocked.
In the return game, sophomore Jarwarski Pollock was impressive in spring practice. The slight (5-8, 166 pounds) wide receiver showed shifty moves and was rarely brought down by the first tackler to approach him.
"He's a little guy who has a lot of shake, and he has good speed to go with it," wide receivers coach Gunter Brewer said. "With his size, he's tough to tackle, because even if you knock him off his feet you better wrap him up."
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| New defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable got a good look at his unit this spring. |
Defensive end: All that first-year defensive coordinator Dave Huxtable has to do is replace Lombardi Award winner Julius Peppers and underrated partner Joey Evans. One slot should be filled by true sophomore Jocques Dumas (to answer the eternal question, it's pronounced jock-EESH according to the man himself), while Issac Mooring will try to hold off Jermicus Banks for the other starting spot.
Dumas (6-6, 253) was called "a Sunday player" by John Bunting last summer and earned playing time as a true freshman. The word most used in association with his talent is still "raw," and the Asheboro native knows he has plenty of work left. "I'm so far from where I need to be," he said. "I really want to get a lot more physical. I need to work on my pass rushing and basically everything about my game." Dumas has also done considerable work in the weight room. After arriving in Chapel Hill at 225 pounds, he is currently near 260.
Defensive tackle: Spring practice didn't provide a true read on this position, since starter Will Chapman (6-4, 272) missed all of practice while rehabbing from a knee injury. Chapman, who blossomed in 2001 and is powered by a motor that doesn't seem to take any plays off, made 29 tackles last year and should be the anchor of the defensive line.
In his absence, more unknown players like Donti Coats, Eric Davis, and Chase Page were able to make their cases for inclusion in the line rotation. Davis (6-3, 268), a senior from Rockingham, is the likely starter at the other tackle spot. Page (6-5, 272), a rising sophomore who was switched from offensive line to defensive line for spring practice, has also made a positive impression on the coaching staff.
"I think Chase Page has a ton of ability, and it shows," Bunting said. "He just has to learn the position and the technique. He has great explosion and quickness and a lot of desire to play."
Linebacker: The entire linebacking corps from last year is gone, including walk-on-turned-star David Thornton, who was the soul of last year's defense. But there may be another player on the Carolina roster ready to have a Thornton-like year. Senior Malcolm Stewart (6-3, 223) is from the same town, Goldsboro, as Thornton, and the two were high school teammates. Stewart still counts Thornton among his closest friends.
Taking a page from Thornton's intense work ethic, Stewart won Carolina's offseason conditioning MVP award. It was solid validation for a player who had never won a team award before, and he has firmly established himself as the starter at the weakside linebacker position.
"Malcolm will be hard to block rushing the passer this year," Bunting said. "My expectations of him are high."
The rest of the linebackers weren't as impressive in the offseason, but there still is talent at the position. There also exists the possibility that some true freshmen will see playing time when they arrive on campus in August. And Thornton, who was a frequent visitor to the spring practice field while preparing for the April 20 NFL Draft, nominated one of his former teammates as the potential defensive surprise of the year.
"Clarence Gaddy [a 6-foot-2, 225-pound sophomore] is going to surprise people," Thornton said. "He's had some things off the field to distract him a little bit over the past two years, but he's geared up now. It will be key for him to have great summer workouts."
Cornerback: Perhaps the most settled position on the defense, cornerback should be a strength for the Tar Heels in 2002. In fact, they're so good in the defensive backfield that it will be a role reversal from past years. Usually, it's the front seven that pressures the quarterback into bad throws and makes the defensive backs look good. This year, the responsibility will fall on Michael Waddell (5-11, 173) and Kevin Knight to stay in coverage a little longer while the front seven develops.
"I've watched the tape, and I'm not a moron," new defensive backs coach Jim Fleming said. "I saw Peppers and Sims and Joey Evans and the rest of those guys who were cranking it up in front last year. You had the luxury of being able to cover for a very short period of time. Now the target is on our back, because we have to create pressure on the quarterback by coverage looks and being able to hold people in check a little bit longer."
The solution will start with Waddell, a second-team All-ACC selection in 2001 who made his first interception of the season against Auburn in the Peach Bowl. His partner at the other cornerback spot will be senior Kevin Knight (5-8, 186), who saw significant playing time last year when Carolina used their nickel defense. Knight, whose speed has always been an asset, has worked on trying to improve his technique.
"I don't think it's a huge jump from nickel to corner," Knight said. "You're on an island by yourself in nickel and you're on an island by yourself playing corner, it's just a more physical position."
"He played extremely well for us last year when we went to nickel," Bunting said. "Playing out there on the inside receiver, he probably had a tougher job than the two corners, because we played a lot of cover-two last year and the guy with the inside slot receiver has the toughest job."
Safety: Dexter Reid (6-0, 187) has developed into a legitimate first-team All-ACC candidate at free safety. The loquacious junior from Norfolk has long been one of the hardest hitters in the Tar Heel secondary, and his fast closing speed makes him even more lethal.
"Dexter has all the tools to be an impact player," Fleming said. "He's got the whole package, and that's as much because of his work ethic and expectations of himself as natural talent. He's intense, physical, has good speed and good ball awareness."
The strong safety should be Chris Curry, a sophomore (6-1, 196) from Fayetteville who saw playing time as a true freshman last year.
"That's why we played Chris Curry last year," John Bunting said. "We wanted to throw him into the fire and let him learn the speed of the game."
Players Mentioned
