Takeaways from UNC Football's 2024 Spring Game - Chapelboro.com (2024)

Posted by Michael Koh | Apr 20, 2024 | ACC, Football, Sports, UNC Sports

The UNC football team capped off its spring practice season with its annual Spring Game in Kenan Stadium Saturday afternoon. Here are some takeaways from the game as the team breaks for the summer:

Carolina’s re-tooled offensive line is still a work in progress

The Tar Heels lost Diego Pounds, Ed Montilus, Spencer Rolland, Corey Gaynor and William Barnes in the offseason, so Saturday’s offensive line was pieced together mostly from transfers and unproven youngsters. Jonathan Adorno and Willie Lampkin – the only notable returners from 2023 – figure to compete for starting jobs in the fall. Transfers Austin Blaske from Georgia and Howard Sampson from North Texas lined up with the first team unit, along with Lampkin, sophom*ore Trevyon Green and junior Malik McGowan. Sampson certainly has the physical presence to start at tackle: he stands at six-foot-eight and weighs 325 pounds.

But both the first team and reserve units had ups and downs. Max Johnson, the first team QB, faced consistent pressure during his first few snaps and had to throw the ball away multiple times. The good news? It’s only April. The bad news? That line won’t be able to officially practice again until August.

The quarterback competition is wide open

Mack Brown has said the team’s quarterback competition will last well into the summer and fall, and Saturday showed both Johnson and Conner Harrell are capable, if a little rough around the edges. Johnson’s arm talent is undeniable and he can buy time with his legs, but his instinct to hold onto the ball would have resulted in sacks if those were allowed in spring games. Harrell, meanwhile, showcased his arm with a 68-yard touchdown pass to freshman receiver Javarius “Vari” Green on his first series, but his consistency is still not there. We’ll be waiting on this for a while.

“It’s a tough thing to balance, but… we understand we’re competing,” Harrell said. “We’re just people. We’re trying to help each other. We’re talking about everything.”

“I’ve got a really good friendship with him,” Johnson said. “We’re just continuing to bounce ideas off each other.”

All the running backs are playing for second place

Omarion Hampton made a cameo appearance in UNC’s “thud” session of the game (light hitting), but was quickly stowed away on the sideline when the actual hitting started. With Drake Maye NFL-bound, Hampton figures to be a bell cow for the Carolina offense in 2024. Brown may put him in bubble wrap until August.

USC transfer Darwin Barlow showed off his speed, scoring the only rushing touchdown of the game, and freshman Davion Gause put together a few nice runs as well. But nobody else on the roster brings the dynamic combination of tackle-breaking and breakaway speed that Hampton does.

“All the running backs we’ve got are pretty darn special,” said Johnson. “I think they’ve done a great job of finding the holes, and if it’s not there, just making something happen.”

Most of UNC’s primary pass-catchers were on the sideline…

Some notable Tar Heels who weren’t in pads today: J.J. Jones, Gavin Blackwell, Chris Culliver, John Copenhaver and Bryson Nesbit. Kobe Paysour wasn’t even on the field. All of those names figure to be primary targets for Johnson, Harrell or whoever is tossing the rock for Carolina in the fall.

…but the kids are all right.

There is a ton of talent in the UNC wide receiver room. Freshmen Alex Taylor, Vari Green and Jordan Shipp all had excellent spring games, with Shipp in particular showing good rapport with both Johnson and Harrell. Shipp caught one of Harrell’s three touchdown passes on the day and routinely showed the ability to beat defensive backs on 50/50 balls. Standing at six-feet-one, Shipp is taller than most anyone UNC has at defensive back. Because of the names ahead of him, the 2024 season may not be Shipp’s breakout campaign, but it’s coming soon.

Featured image via UNC Football on Twitter

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