2008 North Carolina Football
Butch Davis has loads of talent to work with entering his second season at North Carolina. 18 starters return, including nine on offense. The Tar Heels looked primed to finally get out of the bottom of the barrel in the ACC Coastal Division. Let’s see how far they can climb with Info Plays 2008 North Carolina Tar Heels football predictions.
Offense:
Greg Little moved from wide receiver to running back in the final two games last season, running for 247 yards and two touchdowns in those games. His move to running back could spark this offense in ‘08. Coach Davis claims that Little adds a highlight to every single practice. With an inconsistent running game most of the year, the burden fell on then-redshirt freshman quarterback T.J. Yates.
Yates responded nicely by setting a UNC-single-season record with 2,655 yards and 14 touchdowns. His productivity slowed as the season progressed though, with offensive line play being poor to say the least. The training staff determined Yates needed shoulder surgery in the offseason, so he missed all of spring practice. The star of the offense is receiver Hakeem Nicks, who had a school-record 74 catches for 958 yards and five scores last year. He’ll play another big role in the offense this season.
Defense:
North Carolina’s defense has eight starters back and could be the surprise of the ACC. They have a stellar front line and the defensive tackle position has produced NFL-caliber players. Super sophomore Marvin Austin, Came Thomas, Tydreke Powell and Aleric Mullins are all legitimate professional prospects. They form a defense that should be the best at UNC since 2001, where Ryan Sims and Julius Peppers played on the line.
Safety Deunta Williams reigns as last year’s Defensive Rookie of the Year in the ACC. He may be the best NFL prospect on the roster. Safety Triman Goddard missed the spring with a broken wrist, but should be fine to return this fall as the team’s senior leader. Cornerbacks Kendric Burney and Charles Brown are sophomores who solidified their starting spots in the spring. The secondary has excellent depth led by five-star recruit Jordan Hemby. Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant made huge strides in the spring at linebacker and each have the physical stature to be dominant.
North Carolina Tar Heels Predictions at Info Plays: 3rd in the ACC Coastal Division
The Tar Heels are on the rise. They still lack overall depth, but the team has much more experience than a year ago with 18 returning starters. It has a chance to turn last season’s close losses into close victories. That is sometimes a tricky step, and UNC must still prove itself worthy of an ACC contender.
ACC Wins Expected in ‘08: BOSTON COLLEGE, GEORGIA TECH, NC STATE, at Duke
Potential Scares/Losses: VIRGINIA TECH, at Miami, at Virginia, at Maryland
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