The UNC football team capped off its spring practice season with its annual Spring Game in Kenan Stadium Saturday afternoon. Here are some takeaways from the game as the team breaks for the summer:
The RB and WR rooms are both deep
Carolina has an abundance of riches — maybe too much of one — at both running back and wide receiver. Running back in particular will be a position to watch. Elijah Green, Omarion Hampton and British Brooks look to be at the top of the heap so far (head coach Mack Brown has said he wants a “2+1” scenario in the backfield), with several competitors for those three spots. A name to watch is George Pettaway: the highly-touted recruit and rising sophomore came in with Hampton looking to create another fearsome rushing duo a la Javonte Williams and Michael Carter. That hasn’t panned out so far, and Pettaway had to sit out the Spring Game due to an injury. He’s a potential transfer portal entrant if he can’t get on the field.
Meanwhile, the pass-catchers are there for quarterback Drake Maye to have another outstanding season. Josh Downs and Antoine Green may be gone, but transfers Tez Walker (Kent State) and Nate McCollum (Georgia Tech) seem poised to be favorite targets in 2023. Each caught a touchdown pass from Maye in the Spring Game, with Gavin Blackwell, Kobe Paysour and Kamari Morales each catching passes as well. Not to mention J.J. Jones, who has been sitting out the entire spring due to offseason surgery.
“We’ve got a good group around me,” said Maye. “I’ve just got to do my job and get them the ball.”
Quarterback and Offensive Line are not
UNC’s first team offense took care of business, but it got dicey after that. Conner Harrell — recently named the firm backup quarterback to Maye by Brown — spent much of his time in the Spring Game running from the UNC pass rush. Harrell’s reserve offensive line didn’t do much to protect him from either the first or second team defense. So perhaps Harrell’s spotty performance may not be entirely his fault, but it still made 2024 in Chapel Hill a major, major question mark.
Tez Walker is the real deal
Walker’s commitment to Carolina in the offseason immediately raised eyebrows, due to his being from Charlotte and his solid performances against teams like Georgia last season. Brown has compared Walker to former star receiver Dyami Brown this spring, and Walker appeared to be Maye’s top target in the Spring Game, catching a long touchdown and routinely beating his defender off the line of scrimmage. He’s the type of big-bodied wide receiver who seems more than capable of stepping in for the recently-departed Antoine Green.
“I feel like I’ve made a lot of good progress,” Walker said after the game. “I’ve grown a lot over the last three weeks.”
“He’s gonna be special,” Brown said of Walker.
Defensive line shows improvement
Not much went right on defense for Carolina last year, but the poor performance from the defensive line may have been the most disappointing, especially considering the level of talent on the roster. But the group showed signs of life in the Spring Game, with Kaimon Rucker, Kevin Hester, Myles Murphy and true freshman Jaybron Harvey each getting into the backfield. Though many of those plays came against reserves, it’s still a good sign for the Tar Heels for the line to assert itself.
“They made a lot of good plays without scheming,” Brown said of the defensive line. “That’s something we couldn’t have done last year and didn’t do very well.
“We’ve got some great guys, and they’re starting to figure it out,” said Maye.
Surprise holdouts
Neither defensive lineman Travis Shaw nor cornerback Alijah Huzzie played in the Spring Game, each standing on the sideline wearing shorts. Both were in the news this offseason for different reasons: defensive coordinator Gene Chizik noted how he’s been working on Shaw’s mentality, and Huzzie has been perhaps the most-complimented player not named Drake Maye. But neither got to show out on Saturday, due to seemingly minor injuries suffered in practice. Brown confirmed after the game that both Shaw and Huzzie would be ready come August. Regardless of severity, it’s disappointing to not see either in action.
Featured image via UNC Football on Twitter
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