- SPRING SCHEDULE:
North Carolina opens spring practice on Monday, March 3. For head coach Butch Davis, it is his second spring season with the Tar Heels, and this year's spring workouts should be slightly different. Last season, the staff spent a majority of the practices learning the personnel, making position changes and trying to fill a depth chart. This year, the Tar Heels are returning 43 lettermen and the coaches and players have been together for more than a year.
"Last year we hit the ground running," says Davis. "None of the coaches had any idea of the specific or unique skills of our players because we were still getting to know them. We spent a significant amount of time just trying to install formations, plays and coverages and we probably didn't spend as much time on fundamentals and techniques as we needed to. Now that we've had a year with these guys, we've identified each player's strengths and weaknesses and we know what they have to work on. We can be more specific on what to address this spring. Hopefully, we come out of spring practice with much better foundation for what it takes to win next year."
Carolina's spring game is Saturday, April 5 at 1 p.m. Coach Davis set up the spring practice schedule so the team would have eight weeks of conditioning prior to the start of spring workouts. The team will practice one week and then take a week off for the University's spring break. Davis wants the players have a week to recover before returning to the practice fields for three consecutive weeks of spring workouts. Per NCAA rules, teams must complete their 15 spring practices within 34 calendar days. The final spring practice is set for Monday, April 7, allowing players three weeks before the start of final exams.
Carolina's spring practice dates are March 3, 5, 6, 17, 19, 20, 24, 26, 28, 29, 31 and April 2, 3, 7. Practices are closed to the public. The Spring Game on April 5 is open to the public and admission is free. Stay tuned to TarHeelBlue.com for more details.
- 43 RETURNING LETTERWINNERS:
The Tar Heels welcome back 43 lettermen, including 24 defensive lettermen and 19 offensive lettermen, in 2008. Carolina has 10 returning starters on offense, including all-star candidates Hakeem Nicks and Brandon Tate at wide receiver, Greg Little at tailback, Garrett Reynolds at offensive tackle and T.J. Yates at quarterback. Defensively, Carolina returns eight starters, including freshman All-Americas Deunta Williams at safety, Marvin Austin at defensive tackle and Quan Sturdivant at linebacker.
- WITHERS ADDED TO STAFF:
Carolina's only offseason coaching change was the addition of Everett Withers as defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach. Withers replaced Chuck Pagano, who left to become a Baltimore Ravens assistant coach.
Withers comes to North Carolina after serving one season as the University of Minnesota's defensive coordinator in 2007. He has also coached on the college level at Texas with former Tar Heel coach Mack Brown, Louisville, Southern Miss, Tulane and Austin Peay.
Prior to working at Minnesota, Withers spent six seasons with the Tennessee Titans from 2001-06 under head coach Jeff Fisher. He helped the Titans defense tally 57 interceptions, which was the most for the franchise over a three-year period since 1993-95. Withers also worked for the NFL's New Orleans Saints earlier in his career.
Withers earned his bachelor's degree from Appalachian State in 1985. He was also a standout defensive back and captain for the Mountaineers from 1981-85.
- QUARTERBACK PLAY:
One of the story lines this spring will be the play at quarterback in the absence of starter T.J. Yates, who had offseason surgery on his throwing shoulder. Yates set a single-season school record in 2007 with 2,655 passing yards, the fourth-highest total in ACC history for a first-year player. Late in the season, he began to experience some minor shoulder pain. An MRI revealed a small tear that required surgery. Yates is expected to be a full strength for fall practice in August.
Junior Cameron Sexton and redshirt freshman Mike Paulus will compete this spring for the QB spot. Sexton played in seven games and started five as a freshman in 2006. He completed 57 of 136 attempts for 840 yards and four touchdowns. Last season, he played in just one game and completed his only attempt. Paulus, a highly sought after recruit in 2006, redshirted last year.
- POSITION CHANGES:
A handful of Carolina players have made position changes since the end of the 2007 season, including the team's leading rusher Johnny White, who moved to cornerback. White started eight games in 2007 at tailback, gaining 399 yards on 95 carries. Freshman Greg Little moved into the starting tailback role for the final two games of the season and rushed for 300 yards and two touchdowns.
Ryan Taylor, a standout on special teams and a tight end/h-back a year ago, will play linebacker this spring. Others making position changes include Cooter Arnold from CB to WR, Anthony Parker-Boyd from DB to WR and Aaron Stahl from OG to C.
- WILLIAMS ENROLLS IN JANUARY:
Defensive back Melvin Williams is Carolina's lone January enrollee. He will practice this spring at both cornerback and safety. Williams signed with Carolina after two seasons at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas. A native of Tennessee, Williams was a childhood friend of former UNC basketball player Brandan Wright. Williams made his first trip to Chapel Hill when he traveled with Wright on a basketball official recruiting visit.
- LITTLE & BURNEY:
Greg Little, a member of the basketball team since December, and Kendric Burney, an outfielder with the nationally-ranked baseball team, are both expected to participate in spring practice. Little enters the spring as the Tar Heels' starting tailback, while Burney started all 12 games last year at cornerback.
- INJURIES:
In addition to Yates, there are a few other Tar Heels that will miss the spring due to injury, including linebacker Linwan Euwell (right knee), safety Trimane Goddard (left wrist), defensive end Darrius Massenburg (right wrist) and offensive tackle Kyle Jolly (left foot). Chase Rice (ankle) and LaCount Fantroy (knee) are coming back from injuries suffered last season and will slowly work their way into spring workouts. Linebacker Garrett White had offseason microfracture surgery on his right knee and will receive a medical hardship. Although his football career is over, he will remain on scholarship.
- NICKS MOVES UP RECORD CHART:
Wide receiver Hakeem Nicks enters 2008 as an all-star candidate. He was a second-team All-ACC pick last year after setting the single-season school record with 74 receptions for 958 yards and five touchdowns. Over the last two seasons, Nicks has 113 receptions, which is more than ACC career record holder Desmond Clark of Wake Forest (85) had at this stage of his career. Nicks' two-year total is just 64 shy of Carolina's career mark of 177.
- PLACE-KICKER BATTLE:
One of the position battles to watch this spring is a place-kicker where the Tar Heels are looking to replace four-year starter and career field goal leader Connor Barth. Redshirt freshman Jay Wooten is expected to step in for Barth, but will face competition from a number of walk-on players.
- 2008 SCHEDULE:
Seven home games, a non-conference battle against Notre Dame at Kenan Stadium and a nationally-televised Thursday night game on ESPN highlight North Carolina's 2008 football schedule, which the Atlantic Coast Conference released Friday.
Carolina plays host to seven home games for just the second time in the last 14 years. The Tar Heels begin the season on Aug. 30 vs. McNeese State and also face non-conference home games against Connecticut (Oct. 4) and Notre Dame (Oct. 11). The Fighting Irish are visiting Chapel Hill for just the sixth time overall and the first time since 1975.
The Tar Heels ACC home slate includes games against defending ACC champion Virginia Tech (Sept. 20), Boston College (Oct. 25), Georgia Tech (Nov. 8) and NC State (Nov. 22).
In the second game of the season, Carolina will play at Rutgers on Thursday, Sept. 11, in a nationally-televised game on ESPN. It marks Carolina's first appearance on an ESPN Thursday night game since the 2006 season against Virginia.
Carolina's road schedule is highlighted by Davis' return to Miami (Sept. 27) where he coached for six seasons and led the Hurricanes to a 51-20 record. Davis and the Tar Heels beat Miami, 33-27, last year at Kenan Stadium. UNC's last win at Miami came in 1957.
Carolina's other road games are at Virginia (Oct. 18), at Maryland (Nov. 15) and at Duke (Nov. 29).
- GRADUATE ASSISTANTS:
Carolina welcomed a pair of new graduate assistants to the staff this spring, including Brad Davis on the offensive side of the ball and Chris Van Horn in the video department. Davis played guard and center at Oklahoma from 1998-02 where he helped the Sooners win the national championship in 2000 vs. Florida State. He was originally recruited to Oklahoma by Carolina offensive line coach Sam Pittman. Davis has worked at Southern University in Louisiana, Doane College in Nebraska and Texas A&M.
