Tar Heels have holes to fill on offense

Aug 14, 2017 - 8:04 PM North Carolina has won 19 games over the last two seasons and pushed then-No. 1 and undefeated Clemson to the max in the 2015 ACC Championship game, but coach Larry Fedora faces a major rebuilding project on offense as he heads into his sixth year in Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels lose quarterback Mitch Trubisky, running backs Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan, receivers Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard, and Mack Hollins, and three starters on the offensive line, but Fedora is bullish on the offense's potential.

"My expectation will not change for the offense because of personnel," Fedora said after camp opened. "It's going to be the same as what it has been. They'll either meet it, surpass it, or they won't."

The spot that gets the most attention is quarterback.

Though Brandon Harris, a graduate transfer from LSU, is the expected starter, Fedora said he is "excited about all four guys" in the competition. In addition to Harris, who had a disappointing three years with the Tigers, sophomore Nathan Elliott and redshirt freshmen Chazz Surratt and Logan Byrd are competing for the job.

Elliott backed up Trubisky last year but got in only four games, going 8 of 9 for 55 yards. Harris played in four games for the Tigers with two starts. He was 13 of 25 for 139 yards and a touchdown, but had two intercepted.

Despite the unimpressive numbers, Fedora is confident in the newcomer.

"He can make every throw there is," Fedora said. "And I've really been impressed with his accuracy. It's easy to tell when he's not going to be accurate because his feet are messed up. When his feet are messed up, he's usually not accurate.

"So it's not about arm strength. He's got plenty of arm strength. He can be accurate when he knows where he is going with the ball, and he can run. So he's got all the tools."

The decision on the starter will come "as soon as possible" or, Fedora said, joking, at least by Sept. 2 -- the date of the opener against California.

Auburn transfer running back Stanton Truitt should make the loss of Hood and Logan easier to take. But early in camp, Fedora could name only a handful of others as potential starters on offense.

Those would be returning starter Austin Proehl at wide receiver, Bentley Spain at left tackle, Florida transfer Cam Dillard at center, and Brandon Fritts and Carl Tucker at tight end.

"I think that's about it offensively," Fedora said.

MOST IMPORTANT PLAYER: WR Austin Proehl -- Proehl is the only proven weapon North Carolina has returning at the skill positions, which counts wide receivers Ryan Switzer, Bug Howard and Mack Hollins among the losses from last season. Proehl was third on the team in receiving yards (597) and had three touchdown receptions. He has 70 receptions in his career after recording 43 last year and looks to be the No. 1 offensive threat going into the season.

BREAKOUT STAR: LB Cole Holcomb -- A former walk-on who played mostly on special teams in 2015, Holcomb stepped up to become North Carolina's leading tackler last season with 115 stops, an average of 8.5 per game that ranked fifth in the ACC. Among those numbers were five tackles for loss (one sack), and he also broke up five passes. He also came up big in big games, recording 13 tackles in the win over Florida State. With his former coach, linebackers coach John Pauchis, moving up to defensive coordinator, Holcomb could play an even bigger role in the pass rush this fall and add sacks to his totals.

NEWCOMER TO WATCH: RB Stanton Truitt -- Truitt comes from Auburn as a graduate transfer with two seasons of eligibility left. He rushed for 187 yards and two touchdowns and had seven receptions for 100 yards and a touchdown last year after seeing limited playing time the previous two years because of injuries. With RB Elijah Hood and T.J. Logan both gone, Truitt likely will become North Carolina's primary ball carrier.

--C Cameron Dillard figures to start for North Carolina after playing three seasons for Florida. He started eight games for the Gators in 2016 before requiring season-ending knee surgery.

--OL Khaliel Rodgers surprisingly announced after camp had opened that he was "retiring" from football. A graduate transfer from Southern California, Rodgers had nine starts on the offensive line in 2014 and '15 -- six at center and three at guard -- but was moved to the defensive line in 2016. "We hated to see him go," coach Larry Fedora said.

--DT Marlon Dunlap is transferring to Florida after playing in seven games as a true freshman for North Carolina last year. He will sit out the 2017 season.

--Freshman LB Kayne Roberts has moved to running back. He played both positions in high school, but the Tar Heels have a greater need at running back right now.