University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Three Names to Know
August 16, 2004 | Football
Aug. 16, 2004
By Adam Lucas No one likes a smart aleck. But everybody likes to be one. So while your buddies are talking about Darian Durant, Ronnie McGill, and Khalif Mitchell as the keys to the 2004 Tar Heel football season, you need to have a handful of names ready to throw out that aren't quite as well-known. When they make a tackle or a key block on Sept. 4 in Kenan Stadium, you want to be able to say, "See, I told you." For that reason, we offer up the following trio of Tar Heels, all of whom have had a solid training camp and should be an integral part of Carolina's fortunes this season. As befits players flying under the radar, we've listed them not in order of importance, but in alphabetical order. Willie McNeill, left tackle: For all the talk about Durant's importance to the Heels, there's been very little chatter about the man charged with protecting his blind side. That responsibility falls to McNeill, one of three seniors starting on the offensive line. The 6-foot-5, 304-pounder has started 32 games in his Carolina career, and he averaged nearly 60 snaps per game last year. McNeill, who wears number 76 partly in homage to his favorite player, Orlando Pace, always had unique athleticism---he holds team records in the vertical jump (33 inches) and long jump (9 feet, 5 inches)---and has worked hard in the offseason to improve his technique. "I've worked on trying to stay square," he says. "My freshman year I'd turn my hips and give them a short corner. Now I'm working on staying square, closing the inside gap, and keeping them from speed rushing outside." With Durant's health critical to any plans for the 2004 season, those speed rushes are especially dangerous. After taking some knocks during his career---including a freshman season when he was part of a line that started three sophomores and one freshman against defending national champion Oklahoma---the 2003 Honorable Mention All-ACC candidate is glad to be the one delivering the punishment rather than taking it. "I like punishing people," McNeill says. "When I get somebody on the ground, I like to intimidate them. That's fun for me." Fred Sparkman, middle linebacker: Ironically, Sparkman may have gotten more ink last year as a true freshman than he has so far during his sophomore training camp. Last summer, he was the hot new face in town. Now, though, he's in the shadow of fellow sophomore Larry Edwards, who got more playing time in 2003 and made more tackles. ut Sparkman will be just as important to this year's squad. As the middle linebacker, he's responsible for calling all the defenses for the Heels. That's a talent that is usually gained only by game experience, so he'll be forced to adapt quickly in the season's opening games. But assuming he maintains his spot at the top of the MLB depth chart, he'll bring some added athleticism to the position and give the Heels a speedy trio of linebackers. "As a football player, Fred is very different from what he was last year at this time," John Bunting says. "His stamina is better, he's in better condition, and he's really learning how to key and diagnose plays...He doesn't have a lot of game experience in terms of managing the game and making the adjustments but he is showing some physical and mental toughness that we need at that position." Jacoby Watkins, cornerback: When Cedrick Holt went down with a broken ankle last season, the assumption in some circles was that he'd simply go through rehab, make a full recovery, and waltz back in and reclaim his starting position. Jacoby Watkins has other ideas. The redshirt sophomore may be the first tangible product of Marvin Sanders's coaching, as it was constant encouragement from the Heels' new defensive backs coach that gave Watkins the confidence to become a better corner. "We've felt all along that Jacoby could become a good player," Bunting says. "Now he believes it's his time. He's reacting well, he's much more physical, and he's getting some confidence, and that's something Marvin helped with beginning in the spring." Watkins's speed has never been in question, as he ran a 4.16 in the 40 during his freshman season and clocked a 4.24 at pro timing day this spring. But his redshirt year, along with limited game exposure late last year, has allowed him to improve his technique. That's what has kept him at the top of the depth chart during the first week of camp, even with Holt's return to full strength. Holt was Carolina's best corner last year when healthy; the fact that he's having to scrap to move up the two-deep speaks to the improved depth in the secondary. "My knowledge of the game is so much better," Watkins says. "I've learned the different route combinations and how to read the quarterback and the way the receivers line up." Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly and can be reached at alucas@tarheelmonthly.com. To subscribe to Tar Heel Monthly, click here.
