CHAPEL HILL – The Tar Heels are in full game-prep mode and as a result practices are different now than they were before camp more officially broke over the weekend.
As a result, practices are now shorter, there’s less hitting and the 1s aren’t going up against each other now. The scout teams are in full use and drills have a more direct point.
Tuesday’s practice was open to the media for the first 30 minutes and offensive coaches and players were available for interviews afterward. Here are some more notes and quotes from the Tar Heels:
*Offensive Line Issues: At one point last week seven different offensive linemen were unavailable at practice. Five wore red jerseys, meaning they couldn’t do much other than some conditioning on stationary bikes, one (Will Dancy) was out for the season and another (Jared Cohen) had decided not to return to school because he didn’t want to play football anymore.
The Tar Heels were using at least their fourth center with the 1s so far in camp, and even All-American guard Landon Tuner was working with the quarterbacks snapping the ball during practice.
With that, a lot of younger, less experienced players got some reps that accelerated their growth some, but the sometimes-hodgepodge along the line can also disrupt chemistry, which is crucial for an OL to be formidable. Yet, in UNC’s case, with all five starters returning, though Bentley Spain has moved John Ferranto to a backup role, chemistry didn’t take much of a hit.
“Not much,” offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said Tuesday. “Most of those guys have been together for a while and they’ve played next to each other, so I think the chemistry is good.”
Turner was also asked how much the injuries to the OL have challenged the unit’s chemistry.
“Maybe a little bit, but nothing that’s game-changing for us,” he replied. “We’re a really close group, we’re used to working together – we worked together all summer in different positions. So, I’m not really too concerned about our chemistry even if we lose a guy. The next guy’s got to step up anyway, so he’ll be ready.”
Littrell said the unit is “We’re pretty much healthy right now and I feel pretty good about where we’re at.”
*Turner Humbled By Honor: Offensive guard Landon Turner was recently named pre-season first-team All-ACC and first-team All-American by ESPN. Some athletes use pre-season accolades as fuel for their season, others simply dismiss it. Where does Turner fit in here?
“I like to not think about it,” he said. “I definitely appreciate it. I’m humbled by it. I am definitely proud of it, but it’s preseason and I just want to play the same way – I can’t approach the game any differently because someone said I was an All-American. That’s not how it works. I can’t just treat the game completely differently now. So, I just try to push it off to the side. I say ‘Thank you’ and get back to how I know how to approach the game.”
Turner, as noted above, worked some at center last week when the injury numbers to the OL climbed to their highest point. Many offensive linemen throughout time that love playing guard or tackle have not enjoyed center. It’s a different job, so does Turner like playing center?
“Yeah, I like guard more,” he said, smiling. “I’ll play whatever.”
*Britt & Hughes: One of the interesting things to watch this month has been how true freshmen defensive backs Mike Hughes and J.K. Britt have been used during the media’s allotted time at practice, and also how the two players have carried themselves.
As noted here many times, Hughes and Britt have been given plenty of reps with the 1s and 2s and both are heavily involved in UNC’s nickel and dime packages, which we will see a lot of, especially situationally.
What has stood out the most is their body languages. If you knew nothing specifically about UNC’s football roster and walked into a practice any day over the last couple of week, hung out by the DBs and just watched, Hughes and Britt would have stood out to any common football fan. The way they carry themselves, and in some cases versus how some more veteran guys do, is unmistakable.
Britt, you might remember, was a starter when spring practice ended and for a week or so into fall camp, but he’s no longer with the first unit, though he does get reps with them. The terminology and variances of the position may have been a bit overwhelming at times, so he’s stepped back to catch up with the older Heels in absorbing everything. But that’s okay because he will still play, he’ll be on the field, get plenty of game film stuff to watch, and his growth rate should accelerate once the games begin.
Neither player is allowed to speak to the media until they either play in a game or are in their second year in the program. But if you ask the coaches or their teammates about them, the plaudits fly off of their tongues.
*It’s Looking More And More Like Weiler: Another note about the placekicking situation (in addition to Tuesday's report) is that Nick Weiler went first again versus a live defense Tuesday but instead of one kick or even two, he attempted three kicks before giving way to Will O’Briant, who got two kicks. That should serve as more evidence than when the Tar Heels take the field next week versus South Carolina that Weiler likely will be the placekicker.
As for Freeman Jones, he kicked some early in practice off a set tee (no holder) and looked pretty good. But it doesn’t appear he’s a part of the competition for the job right now, though there are indications he eventually will be in the mix.
As a result, practices are now shorter, there’s less hitting and the 1s aren’t going up against each other now. The scout teams are in full use and drills have a more direct point.
Tuesday’s practice was open to the media for the first 30 minutes and offensive coaches and players were available for interviews afterward. Here are some more notes and quotes from the Tar Heels:
*Offensive Line Issues: At one point last week seven different offensive linemen were unavailable at practice. Five wore red jerseys, meaning they couldn’t do much other than some conditioning on stationary bikes, one (Will Dancy) was out for the season and another (Jared Cohen) had decided not to return to school because he didn’t want to play football anymore.
The Tar Heels were using at least their fourth center with the 1s so far in camp, and even All-American guard Landon Tuner was working with the quarterbacks snapping the ball during practice.
With that, a lot of younger, less experienced players got some reps that accelerated their growth some, but the sometimes-hodgepodge along the line can also disrupt chemistry, which is crucial for an OL to be formidable. Yet, in UNC’s case, with all five starters returning, though Bentley Spain has moved John Ferranto to a backup role, chemistry didn’t take much of a hit.
“Not much,” offensive coordinator Seth Littrell said Tuesday. “Most of those guys have been together for a while and they’ve played next to each other, so I think the chemistry is good.”
Turner was also asked how much the injuries to the OL have challenged the unit’s chemistry.
“Maybe a little bit, but nothing that’s game-changing for us,” he replied. “We’re a really close group, we’re used to working together – we worked together all summer in different positions. So, I’m not really too concerned about our chemistry even if we lose a guy. The next guy’s got to step up anyway, so he’ll be ready.”
Littrell said the unit is “We’re pretty much healthy right now and I feel pretty good about where we’re at.”
*Turner Humbled By Honor: Offensive guard Landon Turner was recently named pre-season first-team All-ACC and first-team All-American by ESPN. Some athletes use pre-season accolades as fuel for their season, others simply dismiss it. Where does Turner fit in here?
“I like to not think about it,” he said. “I definitely appreciate it. I’m humbled by it. I am definitely proud of it, but it’s preseason and I just want to play the same way – I can’t approach the game any differently because someone said I was an All-American. That’s not how it works. I can’t just treat the game completely differently now. So, I just try to push it off to the side. I say ‘Thank you’ and get back to how I know how to approach the game.”
Turner, as noted above, worked some at center last week when the injury numbers to the OL climbed to their highest point. Many offensive linemen throughout time that love playing guard or tackle have not enjoyed center. It’s a different job, so does Turner like playing center?
“Yeah, I like guard more,” he said, smiling. “I’ll play whatever.”
*Britt & Hughes: One of the interesting things to watch this month has been how true freshmen defensive backs Mike Hughes and J.K. Britt have been used during the media’s allotted time at practice, and also how the two players have carried themselves.
As noted here many times, Hughes and Britt have been given plenty of reps with the 1s and 2s and both are heavily involved in UNC’s nickel and dime packages, which we will see a lot of, especially situationally.
What has stood out the most is their body languages. If you knew nothing specifically about UNC’s football roster and walked into a practice any day over the last couple of week, hung out by the DBs and just watched, Hughes and Britt would have stood out to any common football fan. The way they carry themselves, and in some cases versus how some more veteran guys do, is unmistakable.
Britt, you might remember, was a starter when spring practice ended and for a week or so into fall camp, but he’s no longer with the first unit, though he does get reps with them. The terminology and variances of the position may have been a bit overwhelming at times, so he’s stepped back to catch up with the older Heels in absorbing everything. But that’s okay because he will still play, he’ll be on the field, get plenty of game film stuff to watch, and his growth rate should accelerate once the games begin.
Neither player is allowed to speak to the media until they either play in a game or are in their second year in the program. But if you ask the coaches or their teammates about them, the plaudits fly off of their tongues.
*It’s Looking More And More Like Weiler: Another note about the placekicking situation (in addition to Tuesday's report) is that Nick Weiler went first again versus a live defense Tuesday but instead of one kick or even two, he attempted three kicks before giving way to Will O’Briant, who got two kicks. That should serve as more evidence than when the Tar Heels take the field next week versus South Carolina that Weiler likely will be the placekicker.
As for Freeman Jones, he kicked some early in practice off a set tee (no holder) and looked pretty good. But it doesn’t appear he’s a part of the competition for the job right now, though there are indications he eventually will be in the mix.
