2008 North Carolina Tar Heels - Rec. Class

North Carolina Tar Heels 2008 Head Coach: Butch Davis

North Carolina Tar Heels

2008 Recruiting Class

Star of the Class

Ebele Okakpu LB 6-1 201 Roswell, GA
SuperPrep All-America ... Considered the No. 17 player in Georgia and the No. 25 linebacker in the country by SuperPrep ... Ranked the No. 11 middle linebacker in the country by Scout.com ... Named to the Georgia Football Magazine 2007 All-Classification All-State team ... Member of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Super Southern 100 ... Posted 151 tackles as a senior and returned a touchdown for an interception in the playoffs ... Led Roswell to a 10-3 record and a run to the third round of the 5-A state playoffs ... Had 121 tackles, nine tackles for loss, three sacks, and four fumble recoveries as a junior, helping lead his team to the state championship game, which ended in a 14-14 tie

Potential Instant Impact Players

Herman Davidson DB 6-3 215 Long Beach, CA
Ranked the No. 19 cornerback in the country by Scout.com ... Rated the 36th-best player in California by SuperPrep ... Finished the 2007 season (13-1) with 71 tackles and six interceptions and two fumble recoveries ... Saved the Poly season with a fumble recovery at the goal line in the final seconds of their 2-0 win over Orange Lutheran in the semifinals ... Helped the Jackrabbits to the 2007 CIF-SS Pac-5 Division title ... Earned first-team all-division honors ... Played sparingly as a junior for Long Beach (Calif.) Poly but moved into the starting lineup during his senior year ... Becomes the first native Californian to sign with the Tar Heels since Chris Keldorf in 1996

Melvin Williams DB 6-0 205 Coffeyville, KS
Enrolled at North Carolina in January after attending Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College ... First-team all-district and all-state cornerback for Wilson Central High School in Lebanon, Tenn. ... Can play either cornerback or safety ... Received a four-star rating from Scout.com  ... Earned All-Gridiron second-team junior college All-America honors ... Named honorable mention NJCAAAll-America ... Ranked second on Coffeyville's squad as a freshman with 87 tackles ... Had 52 tackles, two sacks, two interceptions forced a fumble and blocked two kicks as a sophomore ... Childhood friend of former North Carolina basketball player Brandan Wright ... Made his first visit to Chapel Hill when Wright came on an official visit for basketball in 2005-06

Rest of the Class

A.J. Blue	QB	6-3	208	Dallas, NC
Zach Brown	LB	6-1	210	Chatham, VA
Jonathan Cooper	OL	6-3	287	Wilmington, NC
Quinton Coples	DE	6-7	235	Chatham, VA
Dion Guy	LB	6-3	217	Washington, DC
Braden Hanson	QB	6-6	193	Charlotte, NC
Todd Harrelson	WR	6-0	181	Chesapeake, VA
Kenneth Harris	LB	6-4	194	Decatur, GA
Michael McAdoo	DE	6-7	220	Antioch, TN
Robert Quinn	DE	6-5	245	North Charleston, SC
Kevin Reddick	LB	6-2	208	New Bern, NC
Randy White	TE	6-5	228	Bristol, VA
Christian Wilson	ATH	6-2	228	McKees Rocks, PA
Jamal  Womble	RB	5-10	216	Sierra Vista, AZ

- 2007 UNC Season
- 2007 UNC Preview
- 2006 UNC Season

2007 Schedule
CFN Prediction: 3-9
2007 Record: 4-8

Sept. 1 James Madison W 37-14
Sept. 8 at East Carolina L 34-31
Sept. 15 Virginia L 22-20
Sept. 22 at South Florida L 37-10
Sept. 29 at Va Tech L 17-10
Oct. 6 Miami W 33-27
Oct. 13 South Carolina L 21-15
Oct. 27 at Wake Forest L 37-10
Nov. 3 Maryland W 16-13
Nov. 10 at NC State L 31-27
Nov. 17 at Georgia Tech L 27-25
Nov. 24 Duke W 20-14 OT

2007 Recap

Recap: Despite winning only four games, new head coach Butch Davis laid the foundation for the future in Chapel Hill, filling his two-deep with a number of freshmen and sophomores that’ll benefit from this year’s hands-on experience.  Save for games at South Florida and Wake Forest, the Heels were competitive every Saturday, picking up building-block wins over Miami and Maryland along the way.  Sensing that far better days lie ahead at Carolina, Davis remained committed to the program, even after other schools showed interest in his services in December.     

Offensive Player of the Year: WR Hakeem Nicks

Defensive Player of the Year: LB Durell Mapp

Biggest Surprise: The Oct. 6 upset of once-beaten Miami.  The Heels jumped all over the ‘Canes, holding on for a 33-27 win, and handing Davis his first signature win versus his former employer.  It was the type of victory that the neophyte Carolina program will point to when it eventually makes it back to the postseason.

Biggest Disappointment: Losing to NC State on Nov. 10.  Although the Tar Heels probably grew numb to close defeats by the final month of the season, this one really stung.  North Carolina blew a fourth quarter lead, rallied back down the field, but stalled on the Wolfpack 7-yard line with a few ticks left on the clock.

Looking Ahead: Don’t get bogged down solely by wins and losses when evaluating North Carolina’s progress as a program.  Davis is back in his element, rebuilding a sleeping giant with budding talents on both sides of the ball, such as QB T.J. Yates, DT Marvin Austin, and S Deunta Williams.  If Yates continues to develop and the Heels learn to win the close ones, they’ll be competing for more than just moral victories next November.     

Nov. 24
North Carolina 20 ... Duke 14 OT
North Carolina took advantage of a missed field goal in overtime with a 25-yard Greg Little touchdown run in the comeback win. The Tar Heels started out the scoring with a nine-yard pass play to Brandon Tate, but Duke's defense held until late in the fourth while the offense got Jomar Wright touchdown catches from 25 and four yards out. Little ran for a seven-yard touchdown midway through the fourth to tie it, but Duke had one last chance late to win it in regulation with a 40-yard field goal attempt that went wide left.
Player of the game: North Carolina RB Greg Little ran 26 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns, and caught two passes for 11 yards.
Stat Leaders: Duke - Passing: Thaddeus Lewis, 18-27, 219 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Clifford Harris, 6-44. Receiving: Jomar Wright, 8-91, 2 TD
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 11-24, 75 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Greg Little, 26-154, 2 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-38
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heels have lost games this year when they've played well, and now they've won one after playing like garbage. They had no right to pull off the win over Duke with so many mistakes and so many misfires from the passing game, but the defense did a great job of bending, but not breaking, while Greg Little ran extremely well to carry the offense. It's all about building for the future for the young team, and this win might turn out to be a huge stepping stone for next season. Winning ugly is still winning.

Nov. 17
Georgia Tech 27 ... North Carolina 25
Georgia Tech PK Travis Bell overcame an earlier miss to nail a 27-yard field goal with 16 seconds to play for the win. The Yellow Jackets lost four fumbles, but the defense more often than not bent without breaking as UNC settled for four Connor Barth field goals and got into the end zone on a 14-yard Hakeem Nicks catch and a one-yard Anthony Elzy run. Greg Smith caught touchdown passes from 40 and 47 yards out for Tech, while RB Tashard Choice, who ran for 142 yards, threw a 17-yard scoring pass to QB Taylor Bennett. UNC finished converting just one of 13 third down chances.
Player of the game: Georgia Tech WR Greg Smith caught six passes for 155 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett, 13-24, 196 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 33-142. Receiving: Greg Smith, 6-155, 2 TD
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 21-35, 283 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Greg Little, 24-89. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 7-162, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Third down conversions. North Carolina couldn't come up with them against Georgia Tech and it lead to four field goals. A more experienced team would've been able to put the game away this week by taking advantage of every opportunity, and better production from T.J. Yates on key plays would've made it happen. Even so, this was another good performance that just so happened to turn into a loss. UNC is about five plays away from being around 7-4 and in the bowl picture. Again, more experienced teams get those plays.

Nov. 10
NC State 31 ... North Carolina 27
Jamelle Eugene ran for his third touchdown with 1:41 to play, taking it in from one-yard out, and the defense held as NC State survived a late rally. The Wolfpack got up 17-0 early and appeared on the verge of a blowout, when Charles Scott took a Daniel Evans pass 92 yards for a touchdown. Down 24-10 in the second half, UNC got a 50-yard touchdown catch from Brandon Tate, a 27-yard field goal, and a 76-yard Kendrick Burton interception return for a score to take a 27-24 lead. But an interception from DeMario Pressley set up the Wolfpack on the Tar Heel 25 to set up the final score. UNC LB Durrell Mapp made 23 tackles.
Player of the game: NC State RB Jamelle Eugene ran 32 times for 159 yards and three touchdowns, and caught six passes for 33 yards. In a losing cause, North Carolina LB Durrell Mapp made 23 tackles and a sack
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 22-42, 241 yds, 2 INT
Rushing: Anthony Elzy, 4-10. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 5-56
NC State - Passing: Daniel Evans, 26-42, 229 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Jamelle Eugene, 32-159, 3 TD. Receiving: Marcus Stone, 6-68, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... North Carolina did a great job to come back against NC State twice when it could've gotten blown out, but it gave up a key turnover late and couldn't hold. There has to be more of a running game, gaining a mere 12 yards, and the entire offense can't be all on T.J. Yates, but the team is making strides. Now any hope of bowl eligibility is gone, but that doesn't mean the season is over. Beating Georgia Tech and Duke would set a great tone for 2008.

Nov. 3
North Carolina 16 ... Maryland 13
Connor Barth hit two 45-yard field goals in the second quarter, along with a 23-yarder, and Hakeem Nicks caught a 30-yard touchdown pass as North Carolina shocked Maryland. The Terp struggled offensively all game long, but rallied from a 16-3 deficit to get a five-yard Keon Lattimore touchdown run and a 29-yard Obi Egekeze field goal, but couldn't get any closer as a final drive stalled allowing the Tar Heels to run out the clock. The two teams combined for 20 penalties and five turnovers.
Player of the game: North Carolina DB Tramaine Goddard made ten tackles and picked off a pass.
Stat Leaders: Maryland - Passing: Chris Turner, 20-36, 209 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Lance Ball, 15-69. Receiving: Darrius Heyward-Bey, 5-64
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 16-26, 149 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 18-92. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 8-88, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... It might not have been a thing of beauty, but the Tar Heels will take it. A win over Maryland keeps the dream of a bowl game alive, but to get by road games against NC State and Georgia Tech, before dealing with Duke, there has to be more offensive production. They got away with 259 yards against the Terps, but that's a tough way to try to win. T.J. Yates threw two picks, there was a fumble, and 11 penalties, but the team found a way to win. The explosion has to start to kick in; the Terps didn't respect the deep ball at all.

Oct. 26
Wake Forest 37 ... North Carolina 10
Wake Forest jumped out to a 10-0 lead helped by a six-yard Josh Adams touchdown run. and then answered a 38-yard Connor Barth field goal with a 98-yard kickoff return for a touchdown from Kevin Marion. The Demon Deacons only gained 269 yards of total offense, but took advantage of every opportunity with Adams running for a 14-yard score on the first play after a turnover, and LB Aaron Curry took a pass 77 yards for a score. Sam Swank became the Wake Forest all-time leading scorer hitting field goals from 23, 22 and 46 yards out.
Player of the game: Wake Forest LB Aaron Curry made seven tackles and two interceptions, taking one for a score.
Stat Leaders: Wake Forest - Passing: Riley Skinner, 12-15, 133 yds
Rushing: Josh Adams, 18-82, 2 TDs. Receiving: Kenneth Moore, 4-41
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 26-33, 236 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 6-31. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 9-87
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... North Carolina had two weeks off and came up with that? The defense did a decent job against Wake Forest with few long drives allowed, but it wasn't tight when it absolutely had to be, and it didn't do much to help out the struggling offense. T.J. Yates had a decent day throwing the ball, but there weren't any game-changing passes to save the struggling running game. With Maryland up next, there has to be more offensive pop.

Oct. 13
South Carolina 21 ... North Carolina 15
South Carolina jumped out to a 14-0 first quarter lead on two Chris Smelley touchdown passes, with a three-yard strike to Dion Lecorn and a 30-yard play to Kenny McKinley, and was up 21-3 at halftime on a 12-yard Jared Cook touchdown catch. And then the Gamecock offense couldn't put any points on the board, while the Tar Heels got a touchdown pass and run from T.J. Yates to pull within six with three minutes to play. Yates had one last shot, getting to the South Carolina 31, but couldn't get any closer as time ran out. Durrell Mapp made 14 tackles for the Tar Heels.
Player of the game: South Carolina QB Chris Smelley completed 17 of 26 passes for 172 yards and three touchdowns with an interception.
Stat Leaders: South Carolina - Passing: Chris Smelley, 17-26, 172 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Cory Boyd, 20-95. Receiving: Kenny McKinley, 5-64, 1 TD
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 22-42, 285 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 6-37. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 8-114
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Week after week, there are positive strides for the young team. T.J. Yates is improving, defense did a great job against South Carolina, and now, this is a tough out week in and week out. There will be problems along the way, forget about a winning season of a bowl, but after the way the Tar Heels played against Miami and South Carolina, hope is sky high. A few wins in the ACC race would accelerate the process.

Oct. 6
North Carolina 33 ... Miami 27
North Carolina roared out to a 27-0 lead highlighted by a 54-yard Brandon Tate touchdown on an end around, and a 39-yard Anthony Elzy scoring dash, and then held on for dear life. Miami roared back in the third quarter, scoring 20 points on a one-yard Kyle Wright touchdown run, a four-yard pass to Sam Shields, and then a 97-yarder bolt of lightning from Darnell Jenkins. The Tar Heels were able to stay ahead with two of Connor Barth's four field goals for just enough points to overcome a one-yard Javarris James scoring run set up by a long Jenkins punt return. UNC recovered the onside kick and ran the clock out. Miami threw four interceptions, while UNC only lost one fumble.
Player of the game: North Carolina LB Durrell Mapp made eight tackles with an interception
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 15-23, 218 yds
Rushing: Anthony Elzy, 25-95, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 5-76
Miami - Passing: Kyle Wright, 17-33, 302 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Graig Cooper, 13-77. Receiving: Sam Shield, 5-80, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... UNC might have had to hold on to its breath, but thanks to an impressive early start, clutch play from the defense, and the leg of Connor Barth, it pulled off the shocker over Miami. This is a young team that might feed off this win, having the confidence to do more in ACC play in a few weeks. It helped that Miami didn't tackle well early on, but give credit to the Tar Heels for being creative, and taking advantage of the holes that were there. Butch Davis had to have enjoyed this.

Sept. 29
Virginia Tech 17 ... North Carolina 10
It wasn't pretty, but Virginia Tech pulled off the win with short touchdown runs from Tyrod Taylor and Branden Ore, and got stingy defense throughout. The Tar Heels only managed a 32-yard Connor Barth field goal in the first 54 minutes, and then made things interesting with a one-yard scoring run from Anthony Elzy. They got into Hokie territory on a final drive, but a sack and a false start penalty killed the comeback attempt. UNC outgained Tech 306 yards to 241. The two teams combined for ten sacks.
Player of the game: Virginia Tech LB Cam Martin had 10 tackles and three sacks.
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 16-25, 182 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Anthony Elzy, 11-74, 1 TD. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 8-94
Virginia Tech - Passing: Tyrod Taylor, 10-19, 66 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Branden Ore, 19-93, 1 TD. Receiving: Eddie Royal, 4-14
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heel defense did a great job of keeping the Virginia Tech offense in check, while the offense had its moment. T.J. Yates is a baller; he was hit time and time again, and still hung tough under the pressure. Anthony Elzy ran well, and Hakeem Nicks had a nice game, but to beat the better teams, someone has to explode. Miami is beatable, but the offensive line will have to play far better next week to come up with the huge home win.

Sept. 22
South Florida 37 ... North Carolina 10
South Florida suffocated North Carolina's offense all game long, not allowing a touchdown until the final minute, while the Bull offense overcame three turnovers to get three Delbert Alvarado field goals, five-yard touchdown runs from Mike Ford and Benjamin Williams, and a 12-yard Amarri Jackson 12-yard scoring grab. Jamar Taylor added a one-yard touchdown for a 37-3 lead late in the game. The Tar Heels were held to 164 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... South Florida DE George Selvie made seven tackles and three sacks
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 11-27, 85 yds, 4 INT
Rushing: Ryan Houston, 11-43, 1 TD  Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 3-32
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe, 17-30, 230 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Benjamin Williams, 15-64, 1 TD  Receiving: Taurus Johnson, 3-34
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heel offense will have to get used to several uneven offensive performances, especially against phenomenal defenses like South Florida's. In games like this, it'd be nice if there was a pounding running game to take the heat off QB T.J. Yates, and to slow down the pass rush, but it wasn't happening. Yates never had a chance to breathe, and now it'll only get worse with a trip to Virginia Tech ahead. To survive, the Yates will have to get the ball out of his hands quicker.

Sept. 15
Virginia 22 ... North Carolina 20
Virginia held on as North Carolina's two-point conversion attempt after a two-yard touchdown catch to Richard Quinn got the Tar Heels close. Cedric Peerman ran for a one-yard score, and was the workhorse all game long. Unfortunately for the Cavaliers, several drives ended in field goals instead of touchdowns, with Chris Gould connecting from 51, 28, 37, 48 and 32 yards out. North Carolina stayed alive on the combination of T.J. Yates to Hakeem Nicks, with the two hooking up for a four-yard score in the final seconds of the first half, and Nicks taking a short pass and weaving and bruising his way to a 53-yard score.
Player of the game: Virginia RB Cedric Peerman ran for 186 yards and a touchdown on 30 carries, and had three receptions for 37 yards.
Stat Leaders: Virginia - Passing: Jameel Sewell, 11-17, 96 yds
Rushing: Cedric Peerman, 30-186, 1 TD. Receiving: Maurice Covington, 4-40
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 25-38, 339 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 16-60. Receiving: Brooks Foster, 7-139
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... Fine, so the Tar Heels couldn't win at home against a mediocre team like Virginia, but this was still a positive step forward for the rebuilding program. QB T.J. Yates appears to be a keeper. He showed good poise, made several big plays, and while he got a ton of help from Hakeem Nicks and the receivers, he played like a leader the program needs. The defense couldn't handle the Virginia ground game, but it did a good job of generating pressure.

Sept. 8
East Carolina 34 ... North Carolina 31
ECU PK Ben Hartman missed three field goals, but he nailed a 39-yard shot with no time left on the clock to beat North Carolina. The two teams were in a shootout for three quarters, with Patrick Pinkney throwing three touchdown passes for East Carolina and UNC getting a huge day from Brandon Tate, but Hartman's field goal were the only points in the fourth. Pinkney connected with Chris Johnson on touchdown passes from 78 and 24 yards out, and Johnson added a four-yard touchdown run, while Tate caught touchdown passes from 39 and 51 yards and returned a punt 58 yards for a score.
Player of the game: East Carolina QB Patrick Pinkney went 31-of-41 for 406 yards and three touchdowns, and ran ten times for 22 yards.
Stat Leaders: North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 20-32, 344 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 9-43. Receiving: Hakeem Nicks, 6-77, 1 TD
East Carolina - Passing: Patrick Pinkney, 31-41, 406 yds, 3 TDs
Rushing: Patrick Pinkney, 10-22. Receiving: Jamar Bryant, 6-93
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The defense is going to be a work in progress, as East Carolina exposed with the passing game, but under Butch Davis, that'll quickly come around. The big concern was the offense, and it appears to be in good hands as T.J. Yates had a terrific game, and Brandon Tate was all but unstoppable on his two touchdown catches and a punt return for a score. UNC needs to be explosive to make up for a lack of running game, and now the defense has to start coming up with more stops. That shouldn't be a problem against Virginia.

Sept. 1
North Carolina 37 ... James Madison 14
North Carolina jumped all over James Madison early on with a 21-0 first quarter lead, highlighted b a 65-yard touchdown pass from T.J. Yates to Brook Foster on the opening drive. Foster caught an eight-yard touchdown pass and Anthony Elzy ran for two short scores in the easy with. JMU managed just 249 yards of total offense and only got into the end zone on a four-yard L.C. Baker catch in the second quarter and on an eight-yard Rodney Landers run with 41 seconds to play.
Player of the game ... North Carolina QB T.J. Yates was 13-of-18 for 218 yards, three touchdowns and a pick, and ran twice for five yards.
Stat Leaders: James Madison - Passing: Rodney Landers, 14-22, 100 yds, 1 TD, 2 INTs
Rushing: Eugene Holloman, 23-82  Receiving: L.C. Baker, 4-37, 1 TD
North Carolina - Passing: T.J. Yates, 13-18, 218 yds, 3 TDs, 1 INT
Rushing: Johnny White, 12-49  Receiving: Brooks Foster, 4-87, 2 TDs
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean, Basil? ... The Tar Heels got up so quickly on James Madison that it seemed like the team went on autopilot. The running game had to show more than it was able to, only netting 100 yards, but T.J. Yates did a great job of opening things up through the air. He needs to do more on third downs, and he needs more help from the running game, but those things should hopefully come over the course of the season if the defense gives the O chances to work, like it did against JMU. Next week will be a good test against a strong East Carolina defensive line.