University of North Carolina Athletics
Lucas: Offseason Football Notebook
January 23, 2009 | Football
Jan. 23, 2009
By Adam Lucas
As promised, the Tar Heels used part of bowl preparation to take an early glimpse at young players who might have an impact in 2009 and beyond.
Carolina held three scrimmages during bowl practice, and some young players used the opportunity to provide some eye-opening results.
"Dwight Jones made some very significant plays," Butch Davis said. "In every one of those three scrimmages, he made at least one big play--either a long reception or a short pass with a big run after the catch. That was very encouraging. Darrius Massenburg did some good things, and Carl Gaskins and Jonathan Cooper played well on the offensive line."
Nicks research: Jones's practice performance is good news, because there will be plenty of snaps available at wide receiver in 2009. Brooks Foster, Brandon Tate and Hakeem Nicks accounted for 114 receptions from that position in 2008, and all three have departed for the NFL.
Nicks was the only one with eligibility remaining, but after receiving NFL feedback, he decided to enter the draft early.
"There are a few different ways to get feedback from the NFL," Davis said. "First, Hakeem filled out the paperwork and got the official evaluation through the NFL office. I called and talked to some general managers, directors of college scouting, and NFL receivers coaches. I had them look at film and give me some projections about where they saw Hakeem fitting in. We got information back from probably 10 different sources.
"The other benefit is that most of our staff also have NFL connections. So John Shoop was able to call people, Charlie Williams was able to call people, and we're able to reach out to a good cross-section of people. I don't think anyone who declared to come out got more information than what Hakeem received. No team is going to tell you, `We would pick this guy in X round,' so it's an inexact science. You're not just in competition with the other receivers in the Draft. Half the teams in the league might not want a receiver until the fifth round. So you have to take into account everyone who comes out early, because they all impact you."
Davis began evaluating Nicks's stock on the day after the Meineke Car Care Bowl, and at that point the NFL had evaluated 140 juniors, the most in history.
Nicks's departure mirrors a pattern Davis saw first-hand at Miami, where his Hurricanes were impacted by the early departures of Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Yatil Green and Kenard Lang early in his career there. But by the time Miami was a perennial national title contender, players with similar decisions to make--including Ed Reed, Reggie Wayne, Damione Lewis and Bubba Franks (who returned to school even though he was eligible for the NFL Draft after his sophomore season)--returned to school for an additional season.
"When we were in the fledgling stages of our program, no one stayed," Davis said. "When it became perceivable that we were going to be a BCS team and play for national championships, no one wanted to leave too early because they knew they would still have the same opportunity after the following season. The perception of where you are with your program plays a huge role."
Carolina's pro day, when interested players can perform for a large collection of NFL scouts, will be held on March 17.
"Between now and then, Hakeem will need to train like he's in the Olympics," Davis said.
Signing Day Live returns: Those early enrollees will be interviewed live on Signing Day Live, which returns again this season as the best way to keep up with all the action on national signing day (Feb. 4). The show, which airs live on TarHeelBlue.com and is now in its third year, will once again feature live interviews with Butch Davis, video breakdowns of new signees with members of the coaching staff, and the first reports on which players have officially signed with the Tar Heels.
There is one significant change in the program this year--it's free. Viewers will be able to watch every second live from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. The site will also have live coverage of Davis's signing day press conference at 3:30 p.m.
"It's a great way to showcase a lot of the hard work and effort that assistant coaches and players have put into helping us sign our new class," Davis said. "It feeds the enthusiasm of the fans who are interested in recruiting and gives them the first opportunity to see those players in action. It's a cool feature, and we've always gotten very positive feedback."
The Tar Heels will sign a full recruiting class, so there should be plenty of action around the fax machine on Feb. 4.
More football: Rams Club members will get more offseason football coverage, notes and quotes from Butch Davis, and more in Monday's edition of Tar Heels Today, a weekly publication that is a Rams Club member benefit.
Adam Lucas is the publisher of Tar Heel Monthly. He is also the author or co-author of four books on Carolina basketball.
