With Butch Davis fired just before the beginning of the season, North Carolina has plummeted in preseason rankings and with that they have also plummeted in our projection for where they will end up at the end of the season. The ACC Coastal Division is set to be the most competitive, and we believe UNC will end up at about 4th with a (8-4) record. ESPN has them ranked as the 53rd best school in the nation… about middle of the pack.
UNC will need to win games with their defense. The offense, though not pedestrian, will need to prove itself to the doubters by consistently getting first downs and keeping the time of possession game close.
Team MVP – Quinton Coples – Getting anything more than a 8-4 record will be up to him. If he proves to be the terror that many believe he can be, UNC will almost be dominant. If he can’t make a huge impact, the team will sink.
Surprise of the Season – Bryn Renner – The redshirt sophomore will need to play lights out for his team to make some noise. We’ll predict that he can do it. With true freshman Marquise Williams and red shirt junior Braden Hanson pushing for the starting spot, you can bet that Renner will turn it up a notch to secure his position.
Biggest Win – @ Clemson – I know it seems crazy, but Coach Andrews is going to have to come up with his signature when at some point this season. There won't be a better time than when they play Clemson. 28-24
Biggest Loss - @ Georgia Tech – We predict that the GT will handle UNC well with their option attack. Only time will tell though. The play action should be able to keep UNC's defense honest. 42 – 31.
Preseason All Americans 2nd Team – Quentin Coples
All-ACC 1st Team – Dwight Jones, Quentin Coples, Casey Barth
All-ACC 2nd Team – Donte Paige Moss, Tydreke Powell, Kevin Reddick
North Carolina will begin the 2011-2012 recruiting season with 20 available scholarships. With 17 graduating seniors they are expecting the possibility for 3 other players to potentially head to the NFL or transfer out.
Luckily the team has plenty of depth at their skill positions. The most crucial piece to the recruiting puzzle will be a strong safety and new center. Kicker of course will be a concern.
University of North Carolina Tarheels Depth Chart - 2011 | ||||
Regular Offense | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
WR | Dwight Jones (sr) | Jheranie Boyd (jr) | Sean Tapley (rs fr) | Reggie Wilkins (rs fr) |
TE | Nelson Hurst (rs jr) | Christian Wilson (sr) | Sean Fitzpatrick (rs fr) | |
LT | James Hurst (so) | Nick Appel (rs fr) | ||
LG | Jonathan Cooper (rs jr) | David Collins (rs so) | ||
C | Cameron Holland (rs sr) | Russell Bodine (rs fr) | ||
RG | Travis Bond (jr) | David Collins (rs so) | ||
RT | Carl Gaskins (sr) | Brennan Williams (jr) | ||
WR | Erik Highsmith (jr) | Jheranie Boyd (jr) | Sean Tapley (rs fr) | Reggie Wilkins (rs fr) |
QB | Bryn Renner (rs so) | Braden Hanson (rs jr) | Marquise Williams (fr) | |
FB | Devon Ramsey (rs sr) | |||
HB | Giovanni Bernard (rs fr) | Ryan Houston (rs sr) | AJ Blue (rs so) | |
Base 4-3 Defense | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
LDE | Quinton Coples (sr) | Tim Jackson (so) | ||
LDT | Tydreke Powell (sr) | Jordan Nix (rs sr) | ||
RDT | Sylvester Williams (jr) | Ethan Farmer (rs fr) | ||
RDE | Donte Paige Moss (jr) | Kareem Martin (so) | ||
WLB | Ebele Okakpu (sr) | Darius Lipford (so) | ||
MLB | Kevin Reddick (jr) | Tommy Heffernan (rs fr) | ||
SLB | Zach Brown (sr) | PJ Clyburn (rs fr) | ||
CB | Charles Brown (sr) | Jabari Price (so) | Todd Harrelson (rs jr) | |
SS | Jonathan Smith (rs sr) | Brandon Ellerbe (fr) | ||
FS | Matt Merletti (rs sr) | Gene Robinson (jr) | ||
CB | Tre Boston (so) | Terry Shankle (rs so) | ||
Special Teams | ||||
STARTER | 2ND | 3RD | 4TH | |
K | Casey Barth (sr) | |||
P | CJ Feagles (rs so) | |||
H | Braden Hanson (rs jr) | |||
PR | Sean Tapley (rs fr) | Todd Harrelson (rs jr) | ||
KR | Sean Tapley (rs fr) | Charles Brown (sr) | ||
LS | Cameron Holland (rs sr) |
University of North Carolina Tarheels 2011 Schedule | ||||
DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | ||
Sep 3 | vs James Madison | |||
Sep 10 | vs Rutgers | |||
Sep 17 | vs Virginia | |||
Sep 24 | at Georgia Tech | |||
Oct 1 | at ECU | |||
Oct 8 | vs Louisville | |||
Oct 15 | vs Miami | |||
Oct 22 | at Clemson | |||
Oct 29 | vs Wake Forest | |||
Nov 5 | at NC State | |||
Nov 17 | at Virginia Tech | |||
Nov 26 | vs Duke |
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