2011 was a year of oddities for the Heels as they said goodbye to Butch Davis just eight days before training camp then struggled both on and off the field under interim head coach Everett Withers. This spring the Heels get a fresh start under new head coach Larry Fedora and the high energy man coming from Southern Miss looks to make folks forget the Davis era by revving up the offense in Chapel Hill.
Stability Factor (1 = chaos; 5 = rock solid): 3
Sure, Larry Fedora is not running a risk of being fired this year but as far as stability goes it is about as neutral is it gets in Chapel Hill as the entire team is in transition. On one hand the Heels lose Dwight Jones, Quinton Coples and some other talented players. On the other hand Fedora has Gio Bernard and Kevin Reddick in the fold to help lead the way in this move to a whole new system.
Under the Microscope: Bryn Renner
As a sophomore Renner looked great in spots; hitting his targets, proving himself capable of leading the Heels down the field and looking like the big time recruit he was when Butch Davis signed him. This year he loses a standout wide receiver in Dwight Jones and he is tasked with making things work in a scheme he was not recruited to play. Renner’s looked comfortable in the shotgun but how quickly this junior grasps the scheme is going to be the story of the spring in Chapel Hill.
Locked and Loaded: Gio Bernard
While the entire running back group at UNC is not proven the rising sophomore Bernard is the Heels’ ace in the hole for the 2012 spring. As a shifty freshman he became the Heels’ first 1,000 yard back in over a decade and in his second season, in an offense that will play to his speedy strengths, Gio Bernard looks to build upon that success. Fedora’s spread is different from John Shoop’s pro style but Bernard is comfortable catching the ball or taking a handoff so this spring he should have one of the easier transitions of guys on the roster.
Jockeying for Position: Linebacker
Kevin Reddick will be back in the middle, sort of, the Heels are switching to a hybrid 3-3-5, 4-2-5 style defense this season. Zach Brown, Mr. Athletic, is gone from the linebacker ranks and the Heels only had those two linebackers in their top 10 in tackles a season ago. That means there is plenty of room for opportunity as guys like Darius Lipford, Fabby Desir and Travis Hughes look for a way to get into the linebacker rotation.
Name to Know: Travis Hughes & Eric Ebron
As true freshman Hughes played in all 13 games, primarily on special teams, and posted 12 tackles. This spring is time for rising sophomore to come alive as he will get a shot to show this coaching staff why he was such a highly touted recruit out of Virginia. The field is wide open with the new staff and the new scheme and as one of the more physically talented members of the linebacking group he is a name Heels fans should be looking towards to play next to Reddick this season.
Going two for one here with Ebron the tight end who played well as a freshman a year ago. This new system is tailor made for the kid to see some success as he can exploit mismatches from the tight end and the flex position and get involved from all over the field.
Spring will be a success if…: The Heels can grasp the new concepts
New offense. New defense. Totally different offensive line principles for the boys up front. Totally different routes for the wide receivers on the edge. Totally different pre-snap reads for the quarterback. Totally different defensive concepts and alignments at every level.
Just getting on the same page will be the first step for the Heels, don’t expect mastery coming out of the 15 practices between March and April but definitely look for the understanding of where players are supposed to be and when they are supposed to be there. If the Heels can come out of spring knowing what they are expected to do they can fine tune things in offseason workout sessions and get to fall with an understanding Fedora can mold into success.
