University of North Carolina Athletics
North Carolina Football Signing Day Quotes
Feb. 7, 2001
Exclusive Press Conference Audio
UNC Head Coach John Bunting:
"Thanks a lot for coming out to visit with us today. Obviously this is an exciting day across America with colleges and universities signing players to play for their respective universities for the next four or five years. Were real excited about our class and also very excited about the staff we have here.
I think most of you have met most of them. If you havent had the chance make sure you try to at chance at some point. Great college coaches, great coaches in general, great teachers, and I also want to say that we are off to a tremendous, tremendous start with our off-season and our conditioning program with Coach Jeff Connors. The players are really into it, and were really excited about the progress they are making here in preparation for next year and obviously in preparation right now for spring ball.
Were looking forward to that obviously, although we've pushed that back and well be just getting started in a month or so. We've had a very successful recruiting season. Obviously it was rather short for me, coming in December, but I do want to thank the staff and I want to thank the previous staff for helping to recruit some very good players that I was able to keep. The day I came on we were on the phone talked with a number of players.
There were twelve commitments when I came on board, and that night we still had twelve commitments. Thats the way it went for a long period during this recruiting process. Obviously you know of a couple that have decommitted for various reasons. We then of course feel very good about the people we've gotten. We feel very good about getting more team speed. I think we've recruited an awfully good offensive line class and then some position specifics which we got into on the defensive side of the ball.
On the offensive side of the ball I think we have the best running back in the state of North Carolina. I believe we have the finest defensive end in the state of North Carolina. We believe we have one of the very best defensive tackles in the state of North Carolina so I feel real, real good about certain picks. (laughter) Did I say picks? This is my first draft, right? I mean my first recruiting class.
I feel real good about these guys and I could go through these guys if you'd like me to. Once again I wanted to get more team speed and I think we've gotten that, I wanted to get some position specifics and we've gotten that. I feel real good about our quarterback who you probably dont know a whole lot about. I felt very good about him from the first day I spotted him and coach Tranquil felt good about him."
Matt Baker (QB): Here's a guy who makes great decisions. He has an extremely accurate arm. He's thrown seven interceptions in two years. A 3-year starter who has taken his team to a state championship. I love his leadership, I loved having him in the room with me.
When he left my office last Sunday, I told him 'I want you here at Carolina, I want you to be our quarterback.' He looked me in the eye and said 'I want to come.' I felt really, really good about that.
You will like him.
Antavis Barrino (DL): A defensive tackle with tremendous instincts and great speed for his size. An inside player, a defensive tackle type. We're hoping he can come in and impact this program right away.
He's also a very bright kid, a National Honor Society guy.
Steven Bell (OL): An offensive lineman from over in Greensboro. We're excited about this guy. He's a two-way player that I think has excelled in the offensive tackle position.
I think he's going to be a great center for us at some point. (Laughing) He doesn't know that yet.
Jason Brown (OL): An offensive/defensive lineman who I think will be a real good offensive player for us. We project him at guard. He's from Northern Vance High School in Henderson.
Just a great story, a great young man, a great family. Tough, and can move. A very fast athlete, a very powerful athlete. He's involved with track right now. We're very happy to have him.
Ronnie Bryant (DB): One of our first commitments that we didn't have when we got here. Coach Webster got turned on to him. We're really pleased with him.
He's an excellent, excellent athlete who can play defense or offense. We'll find out which when he gets here. He's got speed and power.
Brian Chacos (TE): His dad played with me back here at Carolina about a hundred years ago. He's a lot faster than his dad. (Laughing) We're happy about that.
He's a tight end/defensive end. Very physical, very tall, very thick. A true athlete. A basketball player, a lacrosse player. We picture him as a tight end for us. With his athleticism, he can play either side of the ball.
Chris Curry (WR): A wide receiver who we think could also play defensive back for us. Once again, we have a lot of good athletes who we recruited to come here to Carolina.
It's hard to say which side of the ball he's going to play on. All I know is he's a competitor. He's a great basketball player along with being a football player. He's outstanding in the classroom. We're really pleased to have him.
Tommy Davis (LB): Another player that can play either side of the ball. He's a big kid, 6-3 and 230 and growing as we speak. He's an exceptional athlete with great speed.
We picture him as a linebacker, but he could end up playing tight end for us.
Jocques Dumas (DE): Everybody's All-American. Some people say he's the number two prospect in North Carolina.
A tremendous kid with a tremendous work ethic. He's playing hoops right now. We think he has a great future either on defense or offense. He's going to get bigger, stronger and faster.
I think you're going to see him as a Sunday player.
Ike Emodi (DE/LB): A young man that just recently committed to us. We're very happy with him. He's a defensive end, outside linebacker type.
He has got speed, size and aggressiveness. We're really pleased to have Ike with us.
Chris Hawkins (WR): Another guy with speed and athleticism that could play wide receiver or cornerback for us. We're very pleased to have him.
He's a 3-year starter, a real gym rat. He loves to play ball. He loves Carolina.
Drew Hunter (OT): A big kid. Like Dumas, a tough kid that can play either side of the ball. We look at him as possibly an offensive tackle for us. A 2-time All-State selection.
He has got tremendous size and aggressiveness to help us on the offensive line.
Doug Justice (LB): A linebacker out of Florida, a SuperPrep All-American. A real physical and fast linebacker. Covers the field well, very instinctive. We feel very good about getting him here.
Linebacker is a position where we felt we needed some depth right away. We feel that we've filled that need.
Harry Lewis (ATH): A guy that a lot of you don't know. A tremendous athlete who could play any number of positions here. He's got tremendous speed and great athleticism.
He's played wide receiver, he's played quarterback, he's played defensive back. The guy could grow into a linebacker, we don't know. He's just a real, real physical guy who loves to compete. An excellent basketball player.
A really bright kid, you'll enjoy meeting him.
Jacque Lewis (RB): The number-one running back in the state. We're really pleased to have. He's a really solid individual and a big-time competitor.
This guy is the real deal, and we're really happy to have him playing here in the running back position. It was a real pleasure meeting him and his family.
Jeff Longhany (LB): Another stud linebacker. Out of Cape Fear High School. Played tight end in the Shrine Bowl, but could play as a linebacker. He certainly has the strength and speed to play.
Derrele Mitchell (WR): A wide receiver from Winston-Salem. We're very pleased to have him.
You probably know what a good receiver and blocker he is. He played in the Shrine owl, he's playing basketball now. A real competitive kid. We have no doubts that he's going to be a great player for us.
Chase Page (OL): A guy who could play offense or defense, tight end or offensive tackle, defensive tackle or defensive end. A very solid athlete. A big kid who's listed at 250, but is probably more like 260 or 265 now
We'll make a decision on where we play him when he gets here, whether it be at tight end or offensive tackle. He's a tremendous athlete. When you watch him block you'll know what I'm talking about.
Jarwarski Pollock (WR): One of my favorite names. He's a wide receiver/cornerback/ punt return and kickoff return specialist. Great speed, tremendous instincts.
He'll look you right in the eye and tell you he's going to score. A real competitive kid who we're really pleased to have.
Danny Rumley (WR): He might be the catch of the whole group. You watch him and you think you're watching the guy who plays for the Vikings (Randy Moss). He is an outstanding, tall, big, tough, strong wide receiver that could grow into the tight end position.
I don't know, I kind of hope he stays at the wide receiver position because he's really tough to tackle. A big kid who really loves to compete. We're just thrilled to have him here.
He was ranked the number one receiver in Alabama by the high school coaches.
Arthur Smith (OL): An offensive lineman. We're thrilled to have him, a two-way player. He played defensive end and offensive tackle.
We project him to move inside and play guard or the center position. He's a tough, smart kid. We feel thrilled that he loved Carolina and wanted to be here. He's going to be a big addition to our offensive line.