J.J. Patterson is a BEAST
Allow me to introduce you to the second commit of the 2012 football recruiting class. His name is J.J. Patterson. JJP has some of the most impressive film I've seen from a high school junior DT. Before you watch, it is important to remember that JJP plays 2A football for the Roanoke Rapids, so it is not like he is playing the same kind of competition that you see in the Sunshine State or from a Don Boscoe schedule in the northeast. However, that does not change the fact that this film is impressive! This is a Man (capitalized) against boys and umpa lumpas (not capitalized)!
What is your favorite part?
(1) When JJP is knocking kids five feet backwards off the line at the snap;
(2) His motor and footwork that allow him to get down the line and make tackles despite the fact that they are obviously running away from him;
(3) How he throws running backs around like they are 8 year olds;
(4) The fact that I am not exaggerating when I say 8 years olds;
(5) How at the 1:05 mark, JJP gets into the back field, makes the RB dance because he can't just run by him, and gets blindsided in an attempted block by a foolish WR (who is in a twenty yard sprint) only to bounce of JJP and crumble like a rag doll as JJP walks back to the line of scrimmage after a negative running play that he caused by getting into the backfield; or
(6) How eventually JJP is triple teamed and they still can't move him. In fact, he disengages to make the tackle. Straight BEAST mode!!!
SICK! Now, JJP was recruited for the trenches on either side of the ball. Secretly, I was hoping he would opt for the offensive side. He is so strong, fast, and agile, he would make a great pulling guard. However, those same skills are going to make him equally effective as a defensive tackle. He is going to demand double teams, which will allow our DEs to match up one-on-one on the outside. Anyone else thinking that we are D-Line U?
Tweet of the Day
(That made me laugh out loud)
Read of the Day
Over the weekend, Desmond Hubert was on campus. Word is that we will be picking up his commitment later this week. I really want this kid. Read this article and you will understand why I want this kid representing UNC - Driven by a promise: New Egypt basketball star Desmond Hubert pushes past strife to excel on court. (More to come on Hubert later this week if what I am hearing turns out to be true)
Spring Game Sprung
My girlfriend agreed to go to the Spring Game when she thought it was going to be a nice day. (Don't forget, she is a Wake and Kentucky alumnus.) Then, she thought I wouldn't want to go because of the threat of electrocution from a probable thunder storm. Fail! That was foolish and made me question if she really knows me. The jury is still out on that one . . . . However, despite the shitty weather, there was somewhere between 13-15,000 out to join me and watch the action. Tar Heel Nation came out and represented well for our football team! Love it! Check out the pic of Q, Nix, and DPM.
See all those people? That wasn't even the crowded side. Frustratingly, there isn't any video that I can find to embed, so all I can do is provide a hotlink for a free video from TarHeelBlue.com:
FB: Spring Game Highlights - 4/9
(While you are there, check out the FB: Gameday Experience clip. It makes me hurt for Fall!)
Bests of the Day
· Best Run: The run of the day starts at the 49 second mark of the clip. Rhyno gets nice blocking up front to get into the second level and trucks Tre Boston. Boston made a nice play on the much bigger Rhyno and might have made the tackle if he would have wrapped up. Maybe. That isn't a knock on Boston. Kid is going to be a player! Boston made a solid open-field tackle on Dwight Jones and that is no easy task. It is a complement to Rhyno. Rhyno vs. a DB is the kind of match up we want. Even when we had a piecemeal o-line, Ryno could get us a yard or three on third and short. Rhyno is a big, violent runner that will try to go through the defense just as much as he will try to run around/by it. If we can get Rhyno into the second level and get blocks on the linebackers, forcing DBs to make the tackle, four or five times a game, it will wear down the opposing teams secondary and big plays will get bigger and bigger.
· Best Tackle for a Loss: At 1:24, Sly Williams blows up a run play in the backfield by beating T.J. Leifheit. Sly is going to get paid very well to play on Sundays and Nix is going to have to work hard to keep him out of the starting lineup. (That kind of competition is what championships are made of.) Sly is BEASTing this Spring!!! When Sly lines up beside Q, Sly will command a double team, which will free Coples for one-on-ones on the outside for passing plays. Advantage Tar Heels! You saw the kind of run-stopper he is in the video. Advantage Tar Heels! Its got to suck to be an offensive coordinator trying to figure out an effective blocking scheme against our front four. While it sucks for them, I can't help but smile!
· Best Block: The Block of the Day is at 1:50. On an option read, Renner fakes the hand off and passes to Dwight Jones for a naked screen. Brennan Williams showed incredible athleticism to get out for the block on the DB in space. It was a VICIOUS pancake block! Whole crowd went oooooooohhhhhh! To me, it was the play of the day. If we can get this kind of play out of the o-line, you are going to see O-coordinator John Shoop's play calling shine. This is what he has been waiting for!
· Best Pass: At the 2:00 mark, Renner hits Highsmith off play-action. It was a well thrown ball and a little too easy . . . . Our secondary was a shell of what you will see in the fall with Charlie Brown, Jonathan Smith, and Brian Gupton unavailable, so the sky isn't falling.
· Best QB Scramble: Marquise Williams scrambles 42 yards for a TD at the 2:42 mark. At the time, I didn't realize it was a 42 yards run. He was very smooth as he broke the pocket and picked up at least 3 to 4 yards with each stride once he get beyond the line of scrimmage. Effortlessly fast! Did I mention the kid can throw it too. Marquise Williams is the future and the future is bright!
What I Was Watching:
The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly
The Good
The QB play was solid. Renner looked good, he looked like a starter. He was 9-13 for 123 yards and a TD. Hanson is now a serviceable backup if the need arise, going 3-4 for 25 yards. A.J. Blue was only 1-5 for 10 yards. Most of his throws were short passes that he put too much mustard on. Sometimes, a little dab will do you. However, Blue is an incredible athlete and I wouldn't be surprised to see him under center in a wild cat formation a couple of times a game. Marquise Williams was 1-2 for 8 yards and an INT. Lets not forget, he should have been getting ready for the prom on Saturday, not competing in Spring Practice. Don't let those numbers fool you, he looked good. The Bad
It is tough to really gauge where you stand during the Spring Game/Scrimmage. It is a showcase for Tar Heel Football, i.e. a Harlem Globe Trotters game with no Washington Generals. You could tell that Coach Davis took all the face cards out of the deck and was giving borderline guys the opportunity to earn playing time. Why else would Rhyno get only two carries and Renner only take one shot deep? Yeah, Butch was sandbagging and why not? What is there to gain in an intra-squad game?
The Ugly
Punting. Period. It was worse than me being without internet for a week last week and that is pretty fucking bad. Good thing is that we have a U.S. Army All-American kicking specialist coming in that just happened to punt in the USAAA game.Yeah. That's pretty freaking serious. If your name is C.J. Feagles and you want to keep your job, you better get better. RIGHT NOW!!! That is all I'm saying.
I don't want to end on a negative. Despite the uncertainty, this team has the potential to be very good. It is going to be a fun Fall for college football! Go Heels!!!
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