GoHeels Exclusive: Ratliff-Williams, Sails Making Each Other Better
August 14, 2018 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
Midway through North Carolina's fifth training camp practice last Wednesday, Anthony Ratliff-Williams and K.J. Sails lined up against each other again, this time for a one-on-one red-zone drill designed to test their might.
Just a few minutes earlier, Ratliff-Williams had bested Sails during another drill by making an improbable one-handed catch in single coverage. The red-zone drill offered Sails a chance at redemption. But again, Ratliff-Williams won the battle. Again, he made a one-handed grab.
The next day, Sails drew Ratliff-Williams twice on the left side of the field during the final 11-on-11 drill. Ratliff-Williams was targeted downfield both times. But Sails matched Ratliff-Williams stride for stride, his smothering coverage ultimately leaving Ratliff-Williams searching for penalty flags that never came.
These four plays are only a small sample. But thus far, the daily duels between Ratliff-Williams and Sails have been the highlight of camp.
You never know how their matchups will unfold. What can be guaranteed, though, is trash talk. That's to be expected when two of the Tar Heels most talented and personable players are pitted against each other.
"In games, it's a love-hate relationship," Ratliff-Williams said. "But we've got a lot of respect for each other. K.J. is a great corner, a great cover, and he makes me better just as I make him better. We never let things that happen on the field into the locker room because at the end of the day, it's only on-field talk."
Head-to-head competition is the staple of any camp. But for Ratliff-Williams and Sails, it could prove key in helping them meet their expectations this season.
After starting 11 games and finishing with a team-best 13 pass breakups last season, Sails is hoping to prove he can be an anchor in UNC's defensive backfield after the departure of M.J. Stewart. Sails focused on improving his footwork and gaining weight during the offseason. He said he's up about 10 pounds.
That added size could be key, given some of the assignments he'll draw this season. Yet Ratliff-Williams might be as tough as any.
"He does a very good job of high-pointing the ball," Sails said. "That forces me to kind of play through his hands a lot. I'm going to see a lot of bigger receivers like him this year, so he and I have been going at it. Ever since OTAs, we've been going with each other every day."
Along with his on-the-field improvements, Sails said he's matured over the last year. His son, King, was born on Aug. 13, 2017. And that's gradually led to a change of approach.
"Having my son really made me grow up a lot," Sails said. "A lot of things that I used to do I don't do much more. I think a lot differently now, move a lot differently now."
Still, even though he appears more selective about when he performs them during practice, the post-play celebrations that Sails became known for last season remain a part of his game. Ratliff-Williams can attest to that.
During a 2017 season in which he emerged as one of the top receivers in the ACC and earned first-team all-conference honors as a return specialist, Ratliff-Williams said he and the Tar Heels would often lose focus when a play didn't go their way. Facing Sails, though, has helped him learn the importance of staying level-headed.
"Those plays are going to happen where that guy is in your head a little bit," Ratliff-Williams said. "He might knock the ball down, no-fly zone you … but you've gotta let it go because it's one play and you have to move on to the next. … I really appreciate him for that."
Ratliff-Williams has attempted to help his teammates learn that same lesson as he's embraced a larger leadership role. He is also working to further refine his receiving skills.Â
His individual goal for this season? "Just be unstoppable."
"It's just getting open, getting open off one-on-one coverages, making sure you do what you do," Ratliff-Williams said. "The ball goes up in the air and your mentality changes. That goes from a 50-50 ball to a 100-percent ball. 'That's mine. I've got to go get it.'Â
"Those things are taking over a little bit every day, and I'm just working at it more and more."
By doing so, he's making Sails better, too.
