University of North Carolina Athletics
GoHeels Exclusive: Holcomb To Wrap Standout Career Saturday
November 23, 2018 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
It didn't take long for Tyler Powell to notice Cole Holcomb, back when the North Carolina fifth-year seniors arrived in Chapel Hill in the summer of 2014.
Holcomb, then a 6-foot-1, 195-pound linebacker from New Smyrna Beach, Fla., had drawn little attention before then. He'd received a few scholarship offers, predominantly from FCS programs. But after accepting a preferred walk-on spot at UNC, he joined the Tar Heels for their first strength and conditioning session that summer and immediately stood out.
Powell said Holcomb outpaced almost everyone, including the skill position players, when running sprints. He then continued amazing in the weight room.
"Coming out of high school, I felt like I was a pretty strong dude," said Powell, then listed at 6-foot-4 and 262 pounds. "And here he is throwing up like 350 (pounds) on power clean on Day 1. I'm like, 'This is ridiculous. I don't even know if he's human.'"
But it's come to be expected of Holcomb.Â
Since that summer, Holcomb's developed from an undersized linebacker into a 235-pound three-year starter. His relentless work ethic is the main reason why. And it could be what helps him earn a spot on an NFL roster after his college career culminates against N.C. State on Saturday.
Growing up, Holcomb said his father, Jack, always told him he'd never play in the NFL, hoping to keep Holcomb from getting his hopes up and potentially crushed. Instead, Jack emphasized the importance of education. That remained the priority, even after coming to college.
Originally, Holcomb planned to walk-on at Duke. When that option fell through late, though, New Smyrna Beach High School coach Lance Jenkins started contacting several schools about Holcomb, who had played safety until the final four games of his senior season.
Among the people Jenkins reached out to was Dan Disch, UNC's defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach from 2012-2014.
"In a couple of weeks, they had their spring game," Holcomb said. "And that spring game is when I realized I was coming to Carolina."
But there were still some uncertainties.
Between his junior and senior seasons at New Smyrna Beach, Holcomb had gained about 30 pounds. He was still a few shy of 200, though. And by his own admission, he was not big enough to play linebacker. So he redshirted in 2014, giving him an extra year to gain more weight.
That first fall proved trying at times. But in its aftermath, the Tar Heels hired Gene Chizik and current defensive coordinator John Papuchis as his linebackers coach.
"With the new defensive staff, it kind of gave me a little motivation," Holcomb said. "It was like a fresh slate. When Chiz, JP and all of them came in, they said, 'This is a clean slate. It doesn't matter if you're on scholarship or not. I have no ties to anybody.'Â
"I took the opportunity and jumped on it."
Holcomb appeared in all 14 games of his redshirt freshman season, playing primarily on special teams and seeing some time at linebacker. During the ensuing offseason, he earned a scholarship. He also won a starting job at outside linebacker.Â
Saturday, he'll make his 34th career start, the most by any player on Carolina's roster.
Since becoming a starter, Holcomb has led UNC in tackles in each of the last two seasons. He finished with 115 stops in 2016 and 93 in 2017. He currently paces the ACC with 99 tackles through 10 games this fall. Entering this week, his 322 career tackles were the most among active ACC players and ranked 17th among active FBS players.
"My dad and I always had this plan where maybe by my junior or senior year I'd get a little bit of playing time here and there," he said. "I remember talking to him my redshirt sophomore year, when I was named starter, we were just talking about how we never thought we'd be in this spot.Â
"Now, looking back on it, it's been awesome. I'm really excited about what it is, and I've surpassed my expectations."
Powell said Holcomb, the strongest player on the team according to Carolina's Power Index formula, still lifts more weight than him. Only now, that's expected. The former walk-on turned starter "grinds more than anybody" Powell said he's ever met.
"It's just taking the mentality of keep working," Holcomb said. "There is always an opportunity to get better. Never be complacent. The moment you're complacent is when you start failing. That's where you see guys not doing as well as they could do.Â
"I had a lot of people reminding me to stay hungry, keep working, you're not close to where you can be. Having everybody tell me, 'You have more, you have more, you have more,' has kept me going."
Holcomb said he'd still never considered an NFL career until this season. If he lands in the right situation, though, Papuchis said the linebacker "could really flourish" during a training camp because of how smart he is.
His work ethic will also surely help.
"He's consistent in his play and he's consistent in the way he approaches every week," Papuchis said. "He's tough, he plays through the bumps and bruises. He's just a guy who regardless of circumstance continues to play hard.Â
"I have a lot of respect for Cole, and I've really enjoyed coaching him the four years I've been here. And when he's gone, he will be missed."
