Recruiting Primer

5/31/11 - Update on Recruiting Primer:  I am having trouble formatting the recruiting board.  I believe I have a solution to the technical issues and hope to have the first installment posted soon.  Sorry for the delay. 

YTSOP
YouTube Song of the Post

Happy Memorial Day Weekend.  It is officially summertime!  Drums please!

Rain Delays Can Get Ridiculous!

After a five hour rain delay during the second game of the ACC Tournament, it can get a little ridiculous and hilarious.

I did stupid shit like this all the time late night in undergrad, but it wasn't because of boredom . . . 

Prepare To Get Primed

Over the next few days, I will go over the needs and prospects/commits of each position group.  Before we get there, we have to talk about where it starts and that is Coach muthertrucking Davis!  But first . . . .

Jarron Jones Is Expected for an Unofficial Visit 

Over Memorial Day Weekend

Jarron Jones

Since we are talking about recruiting, we have a big visitor coming in this weekend.  Literally!  Standing 6' 6" and weighing 290 pounds, Jarron Jones is a large U.S. Army All-American.  Jones is one of the best defensive tackles in the 2012 class:  Rivals #67 overall (7th DT); Scout #14 overall (2nd DT); and 247Sports #21 overall (2nd DT).  While he is a soft commit to Penn State, Jones is still visiting several schools of interest and UNC is the first to get a visit.

UNC's recruiting coordinator is Coach Mogridge.  Before Coach Mo was at UNC, he was at Buffalo.  During his time at Buffalo, Coach Mo recruited Matt Jones, Jarron's older brother, out of JUCO.  Matt Jones signed with Buffalo, but was unable to enroll.  Now Coach Mo is recruiting Jarron and Jarron is coming to visit Chapel Hill.

The first step is getting recruits on campus.  Chapel Hill is a special place, even during a quiet Memorial Day weekend.

Why I Will Never Worry 

About Recruiting with Coach Davis

Coach Davis is best known for one thing.  Putting guys in the NFL.  The biggest reason Coach Davis is so good a putting guys in the League is because he is a great talent evaluator.  His evaluation skills are the reason he got his first job with Jimmy Johnson at Miami.  The second reason is he is a teacher and all the members of the staff are teachers first.  Prospective coaches won't get jobs on Coach Davis's staff if they can't teach football.   I can pontificate for hours about the greatness of Coach Davis's recruiting and talent evaluation, but I don't have to.  I made a chart.  A chart that is the very symbol of why guys take notice when they get an offer from Carolina!

QB
2011	Round 5	TJ Yates	Houston Texans	UNC	HC
2003	Round 7	Ken Dorsey	San Francisco 49ers	U Miami	HC
1999	Round 7	Scott Covington	Cincinnati Bengals	U Miami	HC
RB
2011	Round 5	Johnny White	Buffalo Bills	UNC	HC
2003	Round 1	Willis McGahee	Buffalo Bills	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 2	Clinton Portis	Denver Broncos	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 4	Najeh Davenport	Green Bay Packers	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 3	James Jackson	Cleveland Browns	U Miami	HC
1999	Round 1	Edgerrin James	Indianapolis Colts	U Miami	HC
1999	Round 5	Nicolas Luchey	Cincinnati Bengals	U Miami	HC
1996	Round 5	Derrick Harris	St. Louis Rams	U Miami	HC
WR
2011	Round 2	Greg Little	Cleveland Browns	UNC	HC
2009	Round 1	Hakeem Nicks	NY Giants	UNC	HC
2009	Round 3	Brandon Tate	New England Patriots	UNC	HC
2009	Round 5	Brooks Foster	St. Louis Rams	UNC	HC
2003	Round 1	Andre Johnson	Houston Texans	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 7	Daryl Jones	New York Giants	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 1	Reggie Wayne	Indianapolis Colts	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 1	Santana Moss	New York Jets	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 7	Andre King	Cleveland Browns	U Miami	HC
1998	Round 3	Jammi German	Atlanta Falcons	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 1	Yatil Green	Miami Dolphins	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 6	Tony Gaiter	New England Patriots	U Miami	HC
TE
2011	Round 7	Ryan Taylor	Green Bay Packers	UNC	HC
2009	Round 2	Richard Quinn	Denver Broncos	UNC	HC
2004	Round 1	Kellen Winslow	Cleveland Browns	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 1	Jeremy Shockey	New York Giants	U Miami	HC
2000	Round 1	Bubba Franks	Green Bay Packers	U Miami	HC
2000	Round 7	Mondriel Fulcher	Oakland Raiders	U Miami	HC
OL
2009	Round 5	Garrett Reynolds	Tampa Bay Bucaneers	UNC	HC
2004	Round 1	Vernon Carey	Miami Dolphins	U Miami	HC
2004	Round 7	Carlos Joseph	San Diego Chargers	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 1	Bryant McKinnie	Minnesota Vikings	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 4	Martin Bibla	Atlanta Falcons	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 7	Joaquin Gonzalez	Cleveland Browns	U Miami	HC
2000	Round 5	Richard Mercier	Baltimore Ravens	U Miami	HC
DE
2011	Round 1	Robert Quinn	St Louis Rams	UNC	HC
2010	Round 4	EJ Wilson	Seattle Seahawks	UNC	HC
2008	Round 7	Hilee Taylor	Carolina Panthers	UNC	HC
2003	Round 1	Jerome McDougle	Philadelphia Eagles	U Miami	HC
2003	Round 3	Andrew Williams	San Francisco 49ers	U Miami	HC
2003	Round 4	Jamaal Green	Philadelphia Eagles	U Miami	HC
2003	Round 5	Matt Walters	New York Jets	U Miami	HC
2000	Round 2	Michael Boireau	Minnesota Vikings	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 1	Kenard Lang	Washington Redskins	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 1	Kenny Holmes	Tennessee Oilers	U Miami	HC
1991	Round 2	Shane Curry	Indianapolis Colts	U Miami	PC
1990	Round 3	Willis Peguese	Houston Oilers	U Miami	PC
1990	Round 3	Greg Mark	New York Giants	U Miami	PC
1988	Round 2	Danny Stubbs	San Francisco 49ers	U Miami	PC
1988	Round 10	Derwin Jones	Seattle Seahawks	U Miami	PC
1986	Round 4	Kevin Fagan	San Francisco 49ers	U Miami	PC
1985	Round 4	Willie Broughton	Indianapolis Colts	U Miami	PC
DT
2011	Round 2	Marvin Austin	New York Giants	UNC	HC
2010	Round 5	Cam Thomas	San Diego Chargers	UNC	HC
2008	Round 1	Kentwan Balmer	SF 49ers	UNC	HC
2004	Round 1	Vince Wilfork	New England Patriots	U Miami	HC
2003	Round 1	William Joseph	New York Giants	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 1	Damione Lewis	St. Louis Rams	U Miami	HC
1991	Round 1	Russell Maryland	Dallas Cowboys	U Miami	PC
1990	Round 1	Cortez Kennedy	Seattle Seahawks	U Miami	PC
1990	Round 3	Jimmie Jones	Dallas Cowboys	U Miami	PC
1989	Round 1	Bill Hawkins	Los Angeles Rams	U Miami	PC
1987	Round 1	Jerome Brown	Philadelphia Eagles	U Miami	PC
1985	Round 7	Dallas Cameron	Denver Broncos	U Miami	PC
LB
2011	Round 2	Bruce Carter	Dallas Cowboys	UNC	HC
2011	Round 6	Quan Sturdivant	Arizona Cardinals	UNC	HC
2004	Round 1	Jonathan Vilma	New York Jets	U Miami	HC
2004	Round 1	D.J. Williams	Denver Broncos	U Miami	HC
2004	Round 7	Darrell McClover	New York Jets	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 1	Dan Morgan	Carolina Panthers	U Miami	HC
2000	Round 3	Nate Webster	Tampa Bay Buccaneers	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 5	Twan Russell	Washington Redskins	U Miami	HC
1996	Round 1	Ray Lewis	Baltimore Ravens	U Miami	HC
DB
2011	Round 4	Da' Norris Searcy	Buffalo Bills	UNC	HC
2004	Round 1	Sean Taylor	Washington Redskins	U Miami	HC
2004	Round 7	Alfonso Marshall	Chicago Bears	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 1	Phillip Buchanon	Oakland Raiders	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 1	Ed Reed	Baltimore Ravens	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 1	Mike Rumph	San Francisco 49ers	U Miami	HC
2002	Round 6	James Lewis	Indianapolis Colts	U Miami	HC
2001	Round 6	Leonard Myers	New England Patriots	U Miami	HC
1998	Round 1	Duane Starks	Baltimore Ravens	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 4	Tremain Mack	Cincinnati Bengals	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 5	Marcus Wimberly	Atlanta Falcons	U Miami	HC
1997	Round 7	Carlos Jones	Seattle Seahawks	U Miami	HC
1st Rounders		33
2nd Rounders		8
3rd Rounders		8
4th Rounders		8
5th Rounders		11
6th Rounders		4
7th Rounders		13

Not a bad track record.  Each player either played under or was recruited to the school under Butch Davis.  The biggest part of recruiting at UNC is opportunity.  Opportunity to play in the NFL.  From the schemes to the strength and conditioning, Butch Davis has set up the program to mirror NFL operations and prepare players to play on Sundays.  However, football isn't forever and not everyone makes it to the NFL.  As such, Coach Davis emphasizes education and graduation during his meetings with recruits and is an integral part of the program and recruiting.

Personally, I think a large part of the success with his system is that it attracts those with the talent and drive to hear their name called.  Serious people with serious goals willing to do serious work to make it happen.

The Weather Must Be Nicer In Chapel Hill Than Indianapolis, Right?

YouTube Song of the Post

The reason should be self explanatory.  First, the name of the song is "Protect Your Neck."  Pay attention to the almost non-existent hook (which is why the Original 36 Chambers was so freaking awesome, not fit for the radio).  "You best protect you neck."  Secondly, it is Wu Tang.  Fucking Original 36 Chambers Wu Tang.  Finally, it is old school, kind of like it is getting really fucking old having the NCAA fuck with our football team.  Old school to getting really fucking old?  I know that doesn't make any fucking sense, but I don't give a shit.  I'm pissed and I don't always make sense when I'm pissed. I mean, I am seriously feed up with the bullshit!

The Weather Must Be Nicer In Chapel Hill 

Than Indianapolis, Right?

It was a beautiful day in Chapel Hill today.  I mean gorgeous!  It was in the low 70s and mostly sunny.  The weather in Indianapolis . . . .  Nope.  Pretty much the same.  Then why the fuck is an investigator back in Chapel Hill.  I would have thought they were escaping bad weather to enjoy our notoriously amazing Spring weather out on the deck of Pantana Bob's or He's Not.

Oh.  That's right.  It is because of a these:

 

I know what you are asking yourself.  What is that?  Well, those are pictures of Quinton Coples in Washington D.C. at a post-draft party that was attended by Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin.  You know what else you should be asking yourself?  No.  Not why the fuck did Quinton Coples go to an NFL draft party!  That would be a stupid fucking question, regardless of what my Mom says about questions.  Is he not allowed to celebrate the success of his friends?  Just because you play football doesn't mean you have to become a social recluse.  Get over your fucking self!  No.  The other question you should be asking yourself is, why should the NCAA care about those pictures?  

Well, check out the italicized ESPN print.

Photographs of Coples with Austin and Quinn that appeared on Facebook and the web site EliteDCMag.com prompted the inquiry. The party is labeled as taking place at "Ultrabar" nightclub. Also seen in photos with players is at least one alleged runner the NCAA has investigated.

Before the NFL draft, the NCAA warned some prospective draft choices not to allow any former teammates to accept extra benefits or preferential treatment from anyone such as an agent or a runner. The letter read in part: "Please do not jeopardize the NCAA eligibility of your friends or former teammates."

The NCAA wants to know how Coples paid for his travel to the party, who paid for his admission and his hotel, and if he accepted any free food or drink.

Fucking GREAT!  After reading that, the next question I had was, who is that guy with Coples in the first picture?

This is what I know:

(1)  I hate the NCAA.

(2) There are new policies in place that stipulate that athletes check in with the compliance department when they are leaving town.  It is not like they need a hall pass or anything.  It is only intended to keep the university appraised of any potential issues involved in the travel so that guidance can be provided to the athlete if necessary.

In this case, the NCAA sent the "please don't jeopardize the eligibility of your friends" memo.  I can only hope that Coples checked in with compliance and they had a review session to protect him from the NCAA pissing in his senior season Cheerios.  If this is the case, it will demonstrate the effectiveness of the new policies and should have a positive impact on any potential actions the NCAA wants to take for the transgressions from last year.  I am all for minimizing the already minimal.  What better way to demonstrate the effectiveness of the new procedures than through this little exercise.  Regardless, we have the type of athletes involved in the football program where effective education is going to be critical.  This is the first test.  I hope we pass!

Sidebar: The "please don't jeopardize the eligibility of your friends" memo does beg the question.  Why not send said memo directly to the student-athletes?  Fucking ridiculous!  Back to things I know.

(3) Coples may or may not have been the only Tar Heel there.  And if you know anything, you already know because I already showed you.  Cryptic, right? You are going to have to figure it out for yourself.  I'm not going to explain unless I have to.

OK.  Lets get serious.

Coples was interviewed because an agent or runner was at the draft party.  As a rising senior, Coples is permitted to have contact with agents.  UNC's compliance department has educated the players regarding permissible contact with agents and what is and is not acceptable at these types of functions  within the purview of the NCAA guidelines. It is believed that Coples did nothing to infringe on the NCAA guidelines and committed no infractions that would jeopardize his eligibility. 

So take some deep breaths.  Everything should be fine.

Some parting advice.  If you live locally, I suggest you avoid sports radio.  You know the saying, "haters gonna hate" and the ABCers (Anybody But Carolina) will be out in full Sarah Palin-crazy!  If you are prone to stupidity-rage, I suggest you avoid any potential triggers, e.g. sports talk radio in the triangle (99.9 The Fan), North Carolina newspapers, Joe Schad, ect.  Oh yeah.  For clarification, stupidity-rage is similar to road-rage, only the trigger is stupidity instead of bad driving.  I promise I am not an angry person.

Blakely Interested in UNC

First things first.  I have been working on a recruiting board for both basketball and football.  I hope to have it ready to post soon.  It has turned out to be a little more work than I thought, but it should be worth it.  

Tweet of the Day

tarheelfanblog Tar Heel Fan

Heels: #3) Coples #27) Z. Brown #38) Paige-Moss #89) Powell RT @slmandel: 2012 NFL Draft Top 100 from Gil Brandt http://bit.ly/if0EfL

Read of the Day

Football Team Participates In Habitat For Humanity Project.  Members of the University of North Carolina football team spent Saturday, May 14 helping to construct a playground at part of the Habitat For Humanity project in Orange County. This is more of a misnomer.  Consider it a picture book because the link to the pics is the best part. 
 

Mike Blakely Interested in UNC

Mike Blakely is in the market for a new school.

After being an early enrollee for the Class of 2012, Blakely has been granted a transfer by the University of Florida.  Blakely was highly recruited.  Rivals has the U.S. Army All-American ranked as the number six running back in the class, Scout.com tenth, and seventh according to ESPN.

Reportedly, Urban Meyer was a significant factor in Blakely's recruitment and he unexpectedly left a few weeks after his commitment.  Additionally, Meyer was influential in convincing Blakely to stick with his commitment and, as a result, Blakely enrolled in December and began taking classes for the spring semester.  Upon reporting to the football team, a full body x-ray revealed a shoulder injury.  Blakely underwent surgery that prevented him from participating in either spring practice or the spring game.  From there, as far Gator fans are concerned, it was a Chinua Achebe novel, i.e. Things Fall Apart. 

 

It has been reported that Blakely does not want to play in a pro-style offense, which is what the new coaching staff is installing under Charlie Weis.  However, this has been down played by those close to Blakely and Blakely himself.  Those close to the situation are being tight lipped about the reason, but do attribute Blakely's discomfort with the situation in Gainsville to the coaching change and magnified by his surgery making him an outsider looking in during spring practice.  It should be noted that he was present for all of the spring practices.

Following his release, Blakely has named three schools of interest:  UNC, USF, and USC.

First the bad news.  Blakely is from Manatee County, FL which is very close to Tampa and USF.  Therefore, it should not be a surprise that Blakely has already visited USF unofficially.  What is a surprise is that Blakely has decided to grant USF one of his five Official Visits.  Each recruit is granted five Official Visits for which the target school picks up the tab for the weekend.  It is highly unusual to use an all-expense paid trip on a school so close to home.  However, there are significant restrictions on the amount of contact that a coaching staff and players in an organized team activity can have with a recruit during this period.  Therefore, Blakely must seriously be considering USF as he wants to get a better feel for the staff and the players and an Official Visit will allow him to do this without causing USF to violate any NCAA rules.

Blakely will be taking an Official to USC the following weekend.

Mike Blakely

UNC definitely has interest in Blakely, but it is unclear whether or not he will be pursued.  In time and after the coaching staff completes it's due diligence, we will know if the staff is comfortable offering Blakely.  We obviously have a need at running back and would love to have an elite-talent like Blakely in the backfield if everything checks out.  For Blakely, UNC is a nice landing spot because we have playing time available, a strong offensive line, and a track record for putting guys into the NFL.  You do remember the obscene number of NFL personnel that was present for our Pro-Day?  Over 130 GMs, head coachs, coordinators, and scouts.  Obviously, this is a nice fit for both parties.

I would love to see him torching it in Kenan Stadium!  Just watch his highlights.  When you are building a football team. You start in the trenches.  The defense line came together a lot faster than the offensive line, but now the offensive line has almost caught up.  We have several NFL prospects on both sides of the line, unlike in 2009 when injuries led to us holding the O-line together with walk-ons and tight ends.  The only thing we are really missing is the big-play home run hitting back.  Hopefully, Blakely can take that to the house.  A live-wire playmaker can be the difference between 8-5 and 10-3!





There is always a curveball!  Before you get too excited, Blakely has expressed interest in getting back into the SEC, but UF has restricted Blakely's transfer to any SEC schools.  However, there is a loop hole.  If Blakely transfered to a D-1 school, he would have to redshirt and sit a year because he enrolled at Florida.  If he goes the JUCO route, like Cam Newton, he can play one year of JUCO and enroll at any school he wants, including the SEC.  UF's restriction will no longer encumber him if he goes the JUCO.  I doubt he goes that route, but time will tell. 

It will be interesting to watch this and see how it plays out.  Today offered another interesting wrinkle.  Storm Johnson was just granted a release from Miami.  He is another highly recruited Florida running back from the 2010 class.  While he is restricted from any ACC schools and most likely UF because they are Miami's schedule in the next few years, USF and USC are possible landing spots for Storm Johnson as well.  Adding to the intrigue for USC is how does Blakely fit into their scholarship reduction numbers.  They are still technically over the legal number now . . . . 

Big time college football is a crazy place and fun to track!

YouTube Song of Week

So this new.  Obviously.  I like a lot obscure music in pretty much every genre you can imagine.  I also like discovering new music.  So this is my thought.  I will post some music that I am into.  Maybe introduce you to some new stuff that you like.  Also, if you have some stuff that you think I may like based on what I post, you can hit me up on twitter or email.  My traffic to the site dwarfs the number of followers I have on twitter, so don't be scared to shoot me an email.  I'll appreciate it as long as you don't recommend Ke$ha or Katy Perry.  I do own a radio.  If I like it and post, I'll credit you for it!

Aircraft Carrier Game to be Televised by ESPN

Tweet of the Day

SportsCenter SportsCenter

ESPN will televise MichSt vs UNC from the deck of a U.S. military aircraft carrier http://twitpic.com/4wp2n0

ESPN to Televis Hoops Game 

from Deck of U.S. Aircraft Carrier

Per ESPN:

ESPN has reached an agreement with the Morale Entertainment Foundation to televise Michigan State vs. North Carolina in the Carrier Classic 11-11-11, the first men's college basketball game to be played on the deck of a United States military aircraft carrier, on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. ET. The United States military ship to host the unique Veteran's Day event honoring the men and women in the armed forces is to be determined but will be positioned in the San Diego harbor.

North Carolina Coach Roy Williams said, “It is an honor for Carolina Basketball to play in such a unique game that will benefit and salute the United States’ armed forces. We thank the U.S. Navy for presenting us with this remarkable opportunity. The look on our players’ faces when I told them they would be playing outdoors on the deck of an aircraft carrier was priceless. The experience will create for them a lifetime of memories. Even more important is the chance to combine the start of the college basketball season with saluting and thanking our military personnel for all they do to allow us to safely live and play each day in the United States of America.”

Cool pic but the colors are all wrong. First MSU fans will have nothing to cheer for. Second, RED?

While only military personnel and blank check writing boosters will be able to see it live and in person, we will be able to catch it on ESPN.  Question:  What is the most likely scenario that will result in me being able to attend the game? (1) Win a Mega Millions lottery, (2) Enlist in the military, or (3) Become a member of the UNC basketball staff.

The odds of winning the North Carolina Mega Millions is 1 in 175,711,356.  Believe it or not, I think this represents my best chance.  Now the question is, would I give up the winning ticket for access to the game?  No, but I am a tax attorney and I would plan an effective strategy that would make me a wealthy man on the deck of the aircraft carrier.  Understanding how to tax plan is a useful skill!  As for the enlisting in the military option, despite my ability to enter Officer's school/training immediately, I doubt I can garner enough seniority to gain admission.  Even if I could, I wouldn't.  I have too much respect for the service men and women to cut them in line, unless they are Michigan State fans . . . .  Finally, I know basketball staff members and a coach and I still can't even shag balls at a shoot around or get into watch the legendary summer pick up games, so what makes you think I could become a member of the staff.   If I could, it would have already happened.

Oh well.  At least there will be ESPN coverage.  I only hope that they don't let Dookie V call it.  Give me Bill Raftery, Jay Bilas, and Sean McDonough.




 

'Ship Happen

Tweet of the Day

El_Buey35 Reggie Bullock

People always say don't forget me Reggie if you make it, I say to myself don't forget me if I don't make it! #humble

'Ship Happens

'Ships happens.  As in, scholarships happen.  Every year around this time, major football programs around the country experience some level of attrition.  Yesterday, it was announced that four players would be leaving the football program: Herman Davidson, Jared McAdoo, Brendon Felder, and Shane Mularkey.

Shane Mularkey is leaving football.

Herman Davidson is a rising senior LB and has decided to transfer.  He recognizes that it is going to be difficult to crack the two-deep and is probably pursuing better options for playing time.  Brendon Felder is a red-shirt freshman wide receiver that is coming off an injury.  I was excited to see what Felder would be able to do, especially as a kick or punt returner.  Unfortunately, he will be transferring to Pitt to help his Dad care for his ailing Grandmother.  A series of shoulder injuries have forced Shane Mularkey, son of Atlanta Falcon's Offensive Coordinator Mike Mularkey, to quite football.  Specifically, another shoulder injury could have a detrimental effect on Mularkey's quality of life.  In terms of football, while all would have contributed to special teams, Carolina will be able to move forward without any significant loss of on-field production.  While it is always disappointing to see someone leave the team, lets remember that (1) Mularkey will remain in Chapel Hill, just not as a member of the football team, (2) Felder is making the right decision for his family and will continue to play football, and (3) Davidson will move on in an effort to find more playing time and he deserves that opportunity.

Jared McAdoo Dismissed

Jared McAdoo is the biggest "football" loss of the four.  He played in twelve games last year as a redshirt freshman and was expected to see significant playing time in our D-line rotation.  Unfortunately, he has made some poor choices and forfeited his opportunity and possibly a NFL future.  McAdoo was dismissed from the team for violating team rules.  Considering his past issues, this is three strikes and you're out.  In 2008 as a senior in high school, McAdoo was arrested for selling Percocets. In 2010, while the charge was later dropped, he was arrested for a misdemeanor weapons charge after bringing a BB gun onto campus.  I won't reveal the details of McAdoo's third strike and I don't say this lightly, but this is probably addition-by-subtraction.

Curtis Byrd

If we were to suffer the loss of a projected significant contributor, DT is the best case scenario.  What a difference a year makes!  Last year, we had to move Quinton Coples inside because of our lack of depth and now we can absorb the loss of Jared McAdoo without significant repercussions to depth and overall talent level.   With Jordan Nix and Sylvester Williams at the nose as well as Tydreke Powell and possibly Brandon Willis, if the NCAA grants him a waiver as expected, in the three-technique, the two-deep re-enforces the defensive line as a position of strength, even without Jared McAdoo.  In addition to Ethan Farmer and Quinton Alton, we have two highly rated incoming freshman in Shawn Underwood, who will come in at 6'2" 295 lbs, and Devonte Brown who stand 6'4" and is up to 275 lbs. 

With the loss of four scholarship athletes, we now have four scholarships available.  This is an interesting development.  Initial reaction is to give the scholarships to deserving walk-ons like Curtis Byrd, Mark House, Trase Jones, and Pete Mangum.  On the other hand, those scholarships can be used for incoming freshman that want to enroll early and participate in Spring Practice like Landon Turner, Marquise Williams, TJ Thorpe, and Travis Riley this past year.  I can see a mix of the two.  I hope that Curtis Byrd gets the first available scholarship as he has certainly earned.  However, we may need to save one . . . .

The Loss of One McAdoo 
Triggers the Return of Another?

Michael McAdoo (number 94)

Maybe we will need to save one of those schollies for Michael McAdoo.  Michael McAdoo is a 6'7" defensive end, pass rush specialist.  In case you need a refresher, McAdoo lost his appeal after he was deemed permanently ineligible by the NCAA.  Undeterred, especially after the reinstatement of Ramsey's eligibility, McAdoo has lawyered-up with Noah Huffstetler III.  This was a wise choice!  According to the Nelson Mullins website, where Huffstetler is a managing partner, "[f]rom 1991 to the present, Mr. Huffstetler has been listed in The Best Lawyers in America, including recognition in the areas of administrative law, appellate law, [and] “bet the company” litigation . . . ."  From a News & Observer article on April 1, 2011, 

Noah Huffstetler, III

Huffstetler said UNC's honor court found that McAdoo committed fairly minor violations and imposed a penalty that essentially would have put McAdoo out for one season but specifically ruled that he would be eligible to play beginning in fall 2011.

(Huffstetler declined to specify what McAdoo was found guilty of but said it had to do with a family member or tutor giving him too much help on a paper or presentation.)

McAdoo also accepted a total of $103 in benefits consisting of lodging in Washington, D.C., admission to a club and one hour of tutoring service, Huffstetler said. He said McAdoo has repaid those benefits to charity and that typically an NCAA suspension of a game or two would be sufficient for that amount of impermissible benefits.

With the academic violations, though, Huffstetler said the NCAA relied on UNC's investigative findings and then imposed a penalty for academic fraud even though the honor court did not find him guilty of academic fraud.

"It's nowhere near anything that I think rational adults would consider to constitute academic fraud," Huffstetler said.

After gathering and examining the documents, Huffstetler said, he plans to appeal to the NCAA. He said that if the NCAA won't reconsider its decision, the firm is prepared to take the matter to court to force its hand.

Huffstetler said the NCAA has no definite standards that are enforced from case to case. He said McAdoo's appeal consisted of a telephone conference with a panel of three individuals from different parts of the country.

"We don't think that [process] is at all sufficient to ensure against arbitrary and capricious decisions when something as important as a young man's future and livelihood in some cases ... is at stake," Huffstetler said.

Well, the rumor smoke is starting to fill the sky and I can only hope there is fire.  Michael McAdoo was in attendance for team meetings yesterday and there is strong belief that he will have his eligibility restored.

If there is one thing the NCAA does not want, it is to expose itself to litigation.  Arbitrary and capricious is dangerous language for the NCAA.  They operate without oversight and do not release findings to the public.  As such, there is no checks and balances for which to measure precedent.  Precedent is authority or guidance that is utilized when deciding cases with similar facts or issues.  Since the NCAA does not have to publish its rulings to the public, there is no precedent available to measure fairness.  In fact, some law firms are able to cater their practice around the NCAA because of prior experience makes them privy to the facts and circumstances of previous cases.

The NCAA's stance is that every case is unique, but that is a false assertion.  As a lawyer, every case is distinguishable, not unique, and that is a significant distinction.  If the NCAA is unable to resolve this without litigation, it exposes itself to the discovery process and will be forced to defend its actions in an open court of law against it's own previously established precedent that will be discoverable by McAdoo's attorney.  That precedent in the context of UNC's honor court finding of no academic fraud will probably not result in a favorable outcome for the NCAA, especially considering the cost to McAdoo based on the strength of the evidence.  Worse for the NCAA, the discovery process for any litigation that asserts an arbitrary and capricious claim will certainly be damaging to the NCAA and could threaten its very existence.  The NCAA is not known for equity and fair dealing.  The common perception is that treatment depends on the institution, e.g. Ohio State able to play all its players in the Sugar Bowl despite receiving impermissible benefits or the whole Cam Newton saga.

Do you think the NCAA is going to expose itself to the probability that the perception is in fact the reality in open court with an adjudication or disposition?  I seriously doubt it.   

While nothing is a done deal yet, it will be huge if the 2010 Spring Game MVP, with four sacs and an interception, (remember Robert Quinn and Marvin Austin played in that game) is able to line up on the outside and take the field again next year.  There is smoke.  I am just waiting on the fire, i.e. an official release.  However, I wouldn't post it if I didn't think it was highly likely!

The next question will be how much eligibility will Michael McAdoo have remaining?  There is no doubt that he will have to serve a suspension for the academic violations and impermissible benefits.  However, it should not exceed six games.  As a result, I am hazarding a guess that McAdoo will be able to use his redshirt for the 2010 season, be suspended for approximately six games in 2011, and be fully eligible for the 2012 season.  Rather, that will be the outcome if there is any justice in the world.  The NFL is a very real prospect for McAdoo and currently the NCAA is taking that opportunity away from him for something his school did not find him guilty of.

Is the ACC Really Still a Basketball Conference?  

Not According to the Coaches 

I was reading a message boards yesterday and saw an interesting post.  If you are going to identify a conference as basketball or football dominate based on its coaches, is the ACC still a basketball conference?

	Basketball Coach	Football Coach	Advantage	Why
Boston College	Steve Donahue	Frank Spaziani	Football	Spaziani has had success in the ACC.  Donahue is a good coach and did well in the Ivey with Cornell, but still ahs to prove he is better than Spaziani in the ACC.
Clemson	Brad Brownell	Dabo Swinney	Basketball	Dabo is a recruiter on borrowed time, not a head coach.  Brownell exceeded expectations in his first year, something that Dabo will never do.
Duke	Mike Krzyewski	David Cutcliffe	Basketball	Cutcliffe is a good coach and building in Durham, but K is a Hall of Famer.
Florida State	Leonard Hamilton	Jimbo Fisher	Football	This isn't really a fair comparision, but it is what it is.  Timing is everything and Fisher is the beneficiary of a recruiting windfall with the turmoil in Gainsville and Coral Gables.
Georgia Tech	Brian Gregory	Paul Johnson	Football	I wish they would ban Paul Johnson's style of offense because it is hazardous to player's health.  Until they do, he will continue to eek out wins.  Can Brian Gregory?
Maryland	Mark Turgeon	Randy Edsall	Football	While Turgeon comes from the Tar Heel coaching tree, Edsall has won conference championships and coached in BCS Bowl games.
Miami	Jim Larranaga	Al Golden	Football	I don't know who Larranaga is.  Do you?  Al Golden made Temple a winner and I didn't even know they had a program.  Miami should have hired Frank Martin when they had the chance. . .
North Carolina	Roy Williams	Butch Davis	Basketball	Roy Williams is a Hall of Famer.  While Butch is a great coach, he is going to have to win some National Championships to unseat Roy.  Good to be a Tar Heel! Maybe best battery of coach is the country.
North Carolina State	Mark Gottfried	Tom O'Brien	Football	NC State represents the antitheses of UNC in every way, including coaching excellence.  TOB is smoke and mirrors and Gottfried belongs in an ESPN studio.
Virginia	Tony Bennet	Mike London	Basketball	It is Bennet by a nose.  Both are building excellent programs and will strengthen the ACC.  Virginia's AD deserves some recognition for attracting great coaches for the big two sports.
Virginia Tech	Seth Greenburg	Frank Beamer	Football	Both almost achieve their goals.  Almost!  Haha.  Beamer gets beat down in the BCS and Greenburg always the last man with a chair when the music starts.  At least Beamer tastes the failer.
Wake Forest	Jeff Bzdelik	Jim Grobe	Football	Epic fail!  Grobe is among the highest paid coaches in college and puts a mediocre team on the field at best.  It is sad that that is enough to give him the advantage over Bzdelik.  Fire Wellman!

If the measure is coaching quality, football is dominating, 8-4.  There has been significant basketball coaching turnover in the ACC over the past five years.  Unfortunately, the hires have not been as strong as I would like as an ACC supporter.  Meanwhile, the football coaching hires have been very strong.  With UNC and dook, the ACC is probably going to be represented in the Final Four every year. However, top-to-bottom, the ACC has lost some luster as basketball power conference.

With member schools renewed focus on football, the quality and talent on the field and in the meeting rooms is drastically improving.  Is it only a matter of time before the perception of ACC football overshadows ACC basketball . . . .  

UNC Draft Dominance

Jealousy!

The video would have been Gin Blossoms, but this I find this much more entertaining and interesting.

Martin Solveig-Jealousy from Timmy Atkins on Vimeo.

Jealousy is the theme of today's post for several reasons.

(1)  Be jealous of me!  On Monday, I got to eat breakfast at Suttons and then got a chance to see and experience something that every Tar Heel fan would love to do.  Unfortunately, I can't tell you what it was, but it was AWESOME!!!  Kind of a dick move on my part, right?  Bringing something up that I don't intend to give you details about even though it is a great story.  I get it, but it didn't stop me.  I'll give you a hint though.  It required a special parking permit on campus.  I didn't say it would be a good hint.  Haha.  Besides, if I told you, you might not believe me.  All I can say is that it was an all-time day for a Tar Heel fan, so be jealous.

(2)  UNC dominated the draft.  With the most draftees, every school in the country (with the exception of USC) is jealous and scared.  We are on the rise and it is only going to get better.  Hey jealousy!

(3) UNC is projected to dominate the early rounds of the draft next year.  We lost a lot of talent this year, but we have a lot coming back.  Most head coaches would love to have the depth of talent we have.  Hey jealousy!

UNC DOMINATING THE DRAFT

Congratulations to Da'Norris Searcy, Johnny White, T.J. Yates, Quan Sturdivant, and Ryan Taylor who capped of the 2011 NFL draft for which the

North Carolina Tar Heels had a record 9 players drafted.

That was the most from any school (tied with USC).  A couple of things surprised me.

The first was how far Sturdivant fell.  Arizona got great value in the sixth round.  Sturdivant was projected to go as early as the second round.  It is unfortunate that he fell that far and, after the draft, he attributed his fall to an arrest from last summer for misdemeanor marijuana possession that was later dismissed once he agreed to enter a deferment program.  That turned out to be a costly mistake as there is a significant difference between second round money and sixth round money.

The second thing that had me scratching my head was Kendric Burney going undrafted.  Todd McShay said something akin to small and slow is not generally what you want in a corner in the NFL, but Burney is a football player and makes plays.  Going undrafted might serve Burney well.  Instead of being drafted to a team in the late rounds of the draft, Burney gets to have some control over his situation and who he signs with.  Burney will make a roster and play on Sundays.

Zack Pianalto and Duenta Williams will also get a shot.


Obviously, UNC dominated the draft, but how did the ACC stack up against the mighty SEC?

The ACC = 35.  The SEC = 38.  While the SEC had three more guys drafted, the ACC had a better overall average draft position.  Further, this is not an anomaly.  Over the past five years (since expansion), the ACC has had 184 players drafted as compared to the SEC's 187.  What can you take away from this?  It is hard to say.  Obviously, the ACC has talent.  It just doesn't have respect, but that is coming.  The coaching is getting better and the talent is here.   UNC, FSU, UVA, and Miami are all teams that are attracting significant talent and have good if not great coaching staffs in place.  

Time will tell if the SEC can maintain the perception of its dominance.  I doubt they can.  Personally, I don't think the national champion comes out of the SEC if we would have been able to field our full team.  As Trey Wingo said, UNC was "the best team that never was."  Well, while 2010 failed to live up to its potential, 2011 season is full of promise.  If not for the available playing time and return of a few key guys whose eligibility would have run out last year, e.g. Charlie Brown, Zach Brown, and Ryan Houston, we probably wouldn't be poised to contend for the ACC Championship.  What can I say?  I am a glass half-full kind of guy, so I will focus on the positives from last season and not dwell on what could have been.

Looking Forward to the 2012 Draft - 

What the Draftniks Are Saying Now

Sports Illustrated 1st Round Mock Draft Projections:

 3. Quinton Coples/DE/North Carolina: Coples picked up the slack last season after the suspension of Robert Quinn and terrorized opponents with his pass rush skills. He's a phenomenal athlete with a large upside.

17. Zach Brown/OLB/North Carolina: Brown is yet another talented linebacker to come from the UNC program and he could be the best one in recent years. He's a three-down defender who can cover the pass as well as stop the run.

27. Donte Paige-Moss*/DE/North Carolina: Yet another defensive prospect from the UNC program, Paige-Moss is a developing pass rusher who will also get consideration as a 3-4 outside linebacker. 

CBS Sports - NFLDraftScout.com:

Quinton Coples - Number 1 Defensive End

Tydreke Powell - Number 1 Defensive Tackle

Zach Brown - Number 1 Outside Linebacker

Devon Ramsey - Number 3 Fullback

Dwight Jones - Number 4 Wide Receiver 

*Note - This does not include potential early entrant candidates, e.g. Donte Paige-Moss and Kevin Reddick

WalterFootball.com: 2012 NFL Mock Draft

Pick 2 

  Cincinnati Bengals: Quinton Coples, DE, UNC

I had the Bengals as the No. 31 team in my 2011 NFL Power Rankings because their only option at quarterback was Jordan Palmer. They came away with a solid draft class, including Andy Dalton, so I may move them up a bit in next week's update.

The Bengals didn't obtain a defensive end in the 2011 NFL Draft, which indicates that they may be relying on Antwan Odom. Owed $5.3 million in 2012, Odom won't be back after this year if he doesn't produce.

At 6-6, 272 pounds, Quinton Coples registered 15.5 TFL and 10 sacks for the Tar Heels in 2010.

Pick 17

Houston Texans: Donte Paige-Moss, DE/OLB, UNC

Scheme conversions are always tough to project. Connor Barwin seems like a good fit for the 3-4, but what if he struggles in Wade Phillips' system? I personally don't think he will, but it's definitely possible. If so, the Texans will look to address the rush linebacker position in the 2012 NFL Draft.

The athletic 245-pound Donte Paige-Moss had 13.5 TFL and seven sacks as a sophomore in 2010. It's pretty nuts that North Carolina has two pass-rushers projected in the top 20 of the 2012 NFL Draft. Butch Davis has done an incredible job in Chapel Hill.

Pick 21

  St. Louis Rams: Zach Brown, OLB, UNC

The combination of Larry Grant and Chris Chamberlain failed at weakside linebacker last year. The Rams didn't address the position in the 2011 NFL Draft, making Zach Brown a possibility in this spot.

Pick 29

  New England Patriots: Tydreke Powell, DE/DT, UNC

I'm tired of these Patriot selections because Bill Belichick either trades them or makes picks out of left field.

One of these days, Belichick will draft a five-technique. He has to, right?

Pick 48

  Chicago Bears: Dwight Jones, WR, UNC

I thought the Bears were going to take a receiver this April. I guess not. Maybe they'll do so in the 2012 NFL Draft.

Another dynamic wideout out of North Carolina, the 6-5, 210-pound Dwight Jones caught 62 balls for 946 yards and four touchdowns in 2010. 

What Does This Mean For Recruiting?

What does it mean?  It is too early to tell, but I can't imagine it is bad.  Butch Davis' main recruiting pitch is preparation for the NFL.  He has a long list of draft picks and Pro Bowlers.  Unfortunately, most of those guys played at "da U."  Well, now he can show a recruit that he is getting it done in Chapel Hill.  I'll talk more about recruiting in a future post, but this is good, tangible proof that should spike interest in UNC among our targets.