Mack Brown is only telling us half the story, and on purpose.
Like all coaches in high-profile programs, Brown knows which players should opt out and who should come back, based on the money they will make. But agents are telling players and their families that they have nothing left to prove and don’t risk getting hurt.
Chazz Surratt is a projected second-round NFL draft pick. His brother Sage, a wide receiver for Wake Forest, chose not to play at all during the COVID season. Maybe Chazz and his family are getting the same advice after he had great games against Notre Dame and Miami.
Dyami Brown has improved so much that he might be a first-round draft choice — next year. Agents are likely telling his family he is a second-rounder when right now he is closer to the third or fourth round.
Michael Carter is too small to be the prototype pro running back and is also likely to be a third or fourth-round pick. His agent might be saying, “You had 300-plus yards at Miami. What else can you do?”
Javonte Williams is still getting advice from the Carolina coaches and the agents trying to influence him and his family. He is currently practicing to play against Texas A&M, the No. 5 team in the rankings that will go to Miami angry for being snubbed by the CFP committee.
“We’ve told all of them to give us everything you’ve got while you’re here,” Brown said. “If you decide to leave, we’ll support you.
“It’s their decision. If you tell him to come back and then he gets hurt the first play of the bowl game, you might get sued or he hurts you in recruiting or he’s miserable, or the parents hate you.”
If you’re a Carolina fan who now thinks your team cannot win the Orange Bowl without these guys, you might be calling them quitters or you might have a more contemporary outlook that they are doing what they can to help their families.
But whether they are trying to stay healthy and protect their draft status, or if they should still be part of the team that is trying to win UNC’s first major bowl game in history, that is strictly a matter of opinion. And the situation is not going away.
“It’s all about the money and the possibility of getting hurt,” Brown said. “It’s the world we live in now. You look around and it’s happening everywhere. It’s just the first time it’s happened to us.”
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines