University of North Carolina Athletics
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
GoHeels Exclusive: Consistency A Key For McKethan
November 14, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
One morning back in August, about midway through training camp, Jordan Tucker sat in the offensive line meeting room on the second floor of the Kenan Football Center, in the spot reserved for North Carolina's first-team right tackle.
Until then, the occupants of the two seats to his left had constantly changed as the coaching staff sorted through different options at center and right guard. The seat behind him, though, had been consistently filled by second-team right tackle Marcus McKethan. And it was again that day.
But when Tucker lined up for his first rep at practice a few hours later, he found McKethan in a new position: next to him at right guard.
"I saw him," Tucker said, "and was like, 'OK, if this can work, it's going to be something real special."
Three months later, it appears to be.
Entering Thursday night's game at Pittsburgh, McKethan has started all nine games at right guard. The redshirt sophomore hasn't drawn nearly as much attention as Sam Howell or the Tar Heels' skill players. But considering the only time an offensive lineman's name is typically mentioned is when he messes up, that speaks to how well McKethan has played.
On Monday, Mack Brown went as far as to call McKethan one of UNC's most improved offensive players, along with receiver Beau Corrales and tight end Garrett Walston. Offensive line coach Stacy Searels offered similar praise.
"I'm not going to say (he's been) a surprise, but he's been the most consistent of anybody up front," Searels said. "He's played well. He just does his job. He's a pleasure to coach. His personality has started to come out; he's a very quiet guy by nature. I enjoy coaching him. He does what we ask and he's been effective in doing it."
That was also the case when McKethan was working at right tackle, Searels said. During that time, McKethan proved to be one of Carolina's five best offensive linemen. So, in an effort to ensure he was on the field, the staff reached the decision to try him at right guard.
Coming out of Barnwell (S.C.) High School, McKethan said he'd only played offensive tackle. He had, however, split time between it and guard in the first two years of his collegiate career.
"There are just slight differences with the technique and learning new assignments from guard to tackle," said McKethan, who played 46 offensive snaps (all at right guard) last season. "But otherwise, it's not that big of an adjustment."
Still, he's faced some challenges that most college guards don't.
At 6-foot-7, 332 pounds, McKethan – who has been called "an oak tree" by fifth-year seniors Charlie Heck and Nick Polino – is the tallest starting guard in the ACC. He might very well be the tallest guard in all of college football. After all, most offensive linemen who are as tall as McKethan tend to play tackle since they can use their long arms to fend off pass rushers. Instead, he's often lined up against smaller linemen who try to get underneath him.
Tucker, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds, said he's never played guard and can't even imagine what it'd be like for someone his size to play the position. Yet, McKethan is – and he's steadily improving.
"He works extremely hard," Searels said. "He's tried to be a really good technician, whether it be with his hands or his feet. There's not a whole lot of wasted motion in the way he moves, and that's very important as an offensive lineman because as quick as good athletes will play against you, you've got to be great at your technique. He's worked really hard at that."
And it's paid off.
Of the 144 Power 5 guards who have logged 125 pass-block snaps this season, McKethan is tied for 21st in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency rating (98.7), which measures pressures allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. He's allowed just eight total pressures (one sack, three quarterback hits and four quarterback hurries), all while playing 684 offensive snaps, the 11th most among all Power 5 guards.
In the Tar Heels' last game against Virginia on Nov. 2, McKethan posted a career-best 85.5 pass-blocking grade on 34 pass-block snaps, according to PFF. That was tied for the seventh-best pass-blocking grade by a Power 5 guard in Week 10. Making his performance even more impressive, the Cavaliers entered that game with 32 sacks on the season, good for fourth nationally.
Thursday's game presents another stiff test for McKethan and the rest of UNC's offensive linemen. Pittsburgh ranks third nationally in sacks (40) and boasts the ninth-best graded defense in college football, according to PFF. But McKethan isn't changing his approach.
"Each week I know I've got a job to do and I've got to get it done," he said. "It's unacceptable for me not to do my job. Each week I just try to approach it with that attitude, regardless of who I'm going against."
And regardless of titles. On Tuesday morning, the staff announced McKethan had been voted one of the team's captains for Thursday's game.
"When they announced that in the team meeting room, the whole team erupted because they see the kid has earned it," Searels said. "It's nothing he says; he's not an outspoken guy. He just works and he's been consistent. And I think all the rest of the players on this team respect him."
Polino clearly does, not only for what McKethan is able to do on the field, but also for the way he carries himself.
"He's always been somebody who has been super physically talented," Polino said. "He was always on the cusp of being a great player. He's a massive human being, as I've said before, and he's a big, strong, physically gifted guy. When he gets his hands on people, they disappear. He's one of those guys who I'm glad he's on our side.
"He just goes out there and does exactly what we want him to do and what we ask him to do, and that's all you can really ask for from an O-lineman. He's been great. He's really setting himself up well for the next couple of seasons."
So is McKethan's pal to his right.
The only other offensive lineman who has started all nine games, Tucker has shown great potential while recording a 75.3 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF. Both he and McKethan have two more seasons left in Chapel Hill. And it appears as if they'll spend them beside each other, anchoring the right side of the line.
"Going forward, it's really a blessing," Tucker said, "just because our first two years up here, we were both at tackle, either on opposite sides or one in front of the other. But having him right next to me, we've built a relationship since Day 1. Us together is a problem."
A special one at that.
One morning back in August, about midway through training camp, Jordan Tucker sat in the offensive line meeting room on the second floor of the Kenan Football Center, in the spot reserved for North Carolina's first-team right tackle.
Until then, the occupants of the two seats to his left had constantly changed as the coaching staff sorted through different options at center and right guard. The seat behind him, though, had been consistently filled by second-team right tackle Marcus McKethan. And it was again that day.
But when Tucker lined up for his first rep at practice a few hours later, he found McKethan in a new position: next to him at right guard.
"I saw him," Tucker said, "and was like, 'OK, if this can work, it's going to be something real special."
Three months later, it appears to be.
Entering Thursday night's game at Pittsburgh, McKethan has started all nine games at right guard. The redshirt sophomore hasn't drawn nearly as much attention as Sam Howell or the Tar Heels' skill players. But considering the only time an offensive lineman's name is typically mentioned is when he messes up, that speaks to how well McKethan has played.
On Monday, Mack Brown went as far as to call McKethan one of UNC's most improved offensive players, along with receiver Beau Corrales and tight end Garrett Walston. Offensive line coach Stacy Searels offered similar praise.
"I'm not going to say (he's been) a surprise, but he's been the most consistent of anybody up front," Searels said. "He's played well. He just does his job. He's a pleasure to coach. His personality has started to come out; he's a very quiet guy by nature. I enjoy coaching him. He does what we ask and he's been effective in doing it."
That was also the case when McKethan was working at right tackle, Searels said. During that time, McKethan proved to be one of Carolina's five best offensive linemen. So, in an effort to ensure he was on the field, the staff reached the decision to try him at right guard.
Coming out of Barnwell (S.C.) High School, McKethan said he'd only played offensive tackle. He had, however, split time between it and guard in the first two years of his collegiate career.
"There are just slight differences with the technique and learning new assignments from guard to tackle," said McKethan, who played 46 offensive snaps (all at right guard) last season. "But otherwise, it's not that big of an adjustment."
Still, he's faced some challenges that most college guards don't.
At 6-foot-7, 332 pounds, McKethan – who has been called "an oak tree" by fifth-year seniors Charlie Heck and Nick Polino – is the tallest starting guard in the ACC. He might very well be the tallest guard in all of college football. After all, most offensive linemen who are as tall as McKethan tend to play tackle since they can use their long arms to fend off pass rushers. Instead, he's often lined up against smaller linemen who try to get underneath him.
Tucker, who is listed at 6-foot-7 and 335 pounds, said he's never played guard and can't even imagine what it'd be like for someone his size to play the position. Yet, McKethan is – and he's steadily improving.
"He works extremely hard," Searels said. "He's tried to be a really good technician, whether it be with his hands or his feet. There's not a whole lot of wasted motion in the way he moves, and that's very important as an offensive lineman because as quick as good athletes will play against you, you've got to be great at your technique. He's worked really hard at that."
And it's paid off.
Of the 144 Power 5 guards who have logged 125 pass-block snaps this season, McKethan is tied for 21st in PFF's pass-blocking efficiency rating (98.7), which measures pressures allowed on a per-snap basis with weighting toward sacks allowed. He's allowed just eight total pressures (one sack, three quarterback hits and four quarterback hurries), all while playing 684 offensive snaps, the 11th most among all Power 5 guards.
In the Tar Heels' last game against Virginia on Nov. 2, McKethan posted a career-best 85.5 pass-blocking grade on 34 pass-block snaps, according to PFF. That was tied for the seventh-best pass-blocking grade by a Power 5 guard in Week 10. Making his performance even more impressive, the Cavaliers entered that game with 32 sacks on the season, good for fourth nationally.
Thursday's game presents another stiff test for McKethan and the rest of UNC's offensive linemen. Pittsburgh ranks third nationally in sacks (40) and boasts the ninth-best graded defense in college football, according to PFF. But McKethan isn't changing his approach.
"Each week I know I've got a job to do and I've got to get it done," he said. "It's unacceptable for me not to do my job. Each week I just try to approach it with that attitude, regardless of who I'm going against."
And regardless of titles. On Tuesday morning, the staff announced McKethan had been voted one of the team's captains for Thursday's game.
"When they announced that in the team meeting room, the whole team erupted because they see the kid has earned it," Searels said. "It's nothing he says; he's not an outspoken guy. He just works and he's been consistent. And I think all the rest of the players on this team respect him."
Polino clearly does, not only for what McKethan is able to do on the field, but also for the way he carries himself.
"He's always been somebody who has been super physically talented," Polino said. "He was always on the cusp of being a great player. He's a massive human being, as I've said before, and he's a big, strong, physically gifted guy. When he gets his hands on people, they disappear. He's one of those guys who I'm glad he's on our side.
"He just goes out there and does exactly what we want him to do and what we ask him to do, and that's all you can really ask for from an O-lineman. He's been great. He's really setting himself up well for the next couple of seasons."
So is McKethan's pal to his right.
The only other offensive lineman who has started all nine games, Tucker has shown great potential while recording a 75.3 pass-blocking grade, according to PFF. Both he and McKethan have two more seasons left in Chapel Hill. And it appears as if they'll spend them beside each other, anchoring the right side of the line.
"Going forward, it's really a blessing," Tucker said, "just because our first two years up here, we were both at tackle, either on opposite sides or one in front of the other. But having him right next to me, we've built a relationship since Day 1. Us together is a problem."
A special one at that.
Players Mentioned
Wide Receiver
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