University of North Carolina Athletics
Turner's Take: Marching Orders
April 16, 2014 | Football, Featured Writers, Turner Walston
Saturday's scrimmage was the culmination of spring practice for Larry Fedora and the Tar Heel football team. After 15 practices, including one each in Charlotte and Greensboro, Carolina now moves to the off-season period when players will hit the weight room, the film room and the playbook, but can't be coached on the field. When the Tar Heels reconvene this summer, the coaches will be able to tell who has put in the necessary work to succeed on the field in the fall.
“It's going to be big for me, 'Quise (Marquise Williams) and Kanler (Coker) to be pushing each other, get in the film room, push all of our teammates in the weight room,” said redshirt freshman quarterback Mitch Trubisky. “After that, we've got to get everyone out on the field and then run workouts on our own so we can keep practicing the offense and keep throwing throughout the off-season. It's really on us to stay disciplined and have a good work ethic this off-season. It's going to be huge.”
•Speaking of that position, the jockeying to start behind center between Trubisky and Williams will continue through the summer and into fall camp. It will be interesting to note who really leads those off-season organized team activities, because both are going to try to step up and be seen as the leader in the eyes of their teammates. Trubisky and Williams both impressed at times in the spring and in the final scrimmage, and Larry Fedora is playing coy with his own feelings on a starter. Still, don't forget that Williams was used as a change-of-pace and running threat even when Bryn Renner started through much of 2013. It wouldn't be too terribly surprising to see a similar setup, with Trubisky in the Renner role, in 2014. Regardless, it may not even be August 30 before we know the choice, as Carolina starts with home games against Liberty and San Diego State before trips to East Carolina and Clemson. The two quarterbacks could conceivably alternate series through those first two games before the schedule heats up –and really never cools off– with the game in Greenville.
•No matter who starts, the Tar Heel quarterback will have some great help in the backfield with a stable of talented tailbacks. T.J. Logan was as advertised on Saturday, netting 108 yards and two scores in basically a half of play. Elijah Hood showed his ability to get tough yards in the middle of the field. Khris Francis is quick, but needs to make decisions earlier and not dance in the backfield, and even walk-on Charles Brunson showed he can help the team in short-yardage situations. Add junior Romar Morris, who sat out the spring while resting a knee injury, and Carolina has its most talented running back corps in years.
•There's a youth movement afoot in the Tar Heel secondary, with sophomores Dominique Green, Desmond Lawrence and Brian Walker maturing and a pair of early enrollees, M.J. Stewart and Allen Artis, impressing in the spring. Stewart in particular put on a show on Saturday, with six tackles, two pass break-ups and an interception. That unit, and the Tar Heel defense in general, is finally playing to its potential in Vic Koenning's 4-2-5 alignment. In 2014, the coaching staff either has its own recruits or holdover players with two years of experience in the system.
•The team that takes the field on August 30 against Liberty won't look exactly like the team you saw at the spring game last weekend. That's because summer brings17 more freshmen to join the five already enrolled. Some will spend an extra year conditioning for the grind of college football, but many will compete for playing time and provide quality depth. Most critically, three large offensive linemen plus early enrollee Bentley Spain give that unit a tremendous boost after injuries, graduation and the NFL Draft hit Chris Kapilovic's group hard.
Larry Fedora can never have enough playmakers, and three more wide receivers and another tight end (in addition to early enrollee Brandon Fritts) join the fold this fall, giving Seth Litrell and the offense the ability to spread the ball around and continue to play smart, fast and physical. Carolina also adds two defensive backs, three linebackers, three defensive linemen, a quarterback and a kicker.
Looking ahead, the 2015 recruiting class will be the first under Fedora without the scholarship limitations imposed as part of the NCAA penalty in 2012. All indications are that the coaching staff is taking full advantage and working hard to secure a standout class.
