In head coach Larry Fedora’s third season at the University of North Carolina, the Tar Heels ended their 2014 season at 6-7, losing to Rutgers 40-21 in the Quick Lane Bowl.
It marked the worst year Fedora has had in his time at UNC, mainly due to a struggling defense that ended up ranked 120th nationally after allowing 497.8 yards per game.
At season’s end, Fedora and defensive coordinator Vic Koenning parted ways and Fedora hired former Auburn head coach Gene Chizik as the new DC to revamp the Tar Heel defense.
“Gene is going to have a tremendous impact on our defense. He’s running it. We have a completely new scheme,” said Fedora. “He’s installing his style of coaching and the way he wants those guys to play.”
Joining Chizik will be former Nebraska defensive coordinator John Papuchis and defensive backs coach Charlton Warren.
On defense, North Carolina will be returning six starters from a unit that tied for 119th in scoring defense. This group allowed East Carolina to rack up 789 yards and 70 points against them in one game.
Three starters return in the secondary, and Fedora believes this is one area of the defense that has improved the most throughout the spring.
“They’ve all got a year of experience in, and also as far as just playing and being out there, but they’ve adapted well to the new scheme and the new techniques that Gene and Charlton want them to play back there, so I would say coming out of spring, that would have been the most productive area,” he said.
Junior cornerback Brian Walker started in 12 games last season and had 38 tackles and three interceptions. Junior safety Dominique Green, who started in eight of his 11 games to complete 37 tackles and recover three fumbles, will return in the secondary alongside redshirt sophomore safety Donnie Miles.
Miles ended the 2014 season with 53 tackles and a sack.
On the defensive line, the Tar Heels return veteran tackle Justin Thomason and redshirt sophomore defensive end Dajaun Drennon. However, the most productive returning starter may be senior Jeff Schoettmer.
The middle linebacker recorded a team-high 72 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two pick-sixes in 2014.
The strength of the Tar Heels, however, is their offense. Going into 2015, North Carolina returns most of their offensive starters, only losing one member from the unit that ranked 45th in the nation in total offense.
Also returning is a healthy star quarterback, Marquise Williams. The third-team All-ACC senior racked up 3,856 yards of total offense and 35 touchdowns in 2014 while battling a nagging hip injury. Williams had to miss the spring practices to recover from his injury, but he will be back to start in the fall.
“We anticipate him being back here full speed,” said Fedora.
With Williams unable to participate in the spring, backup quarterback Mitch Trubisky had his chance to get reps with the first team. Trubisky appeared in nine games in 2014, where he completed 35 of 69 passes for 394 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions.
“I thought it was beneficial. We made the most of it. I would have loved for ‘Quise to be there so he could have gotten a bunch of reps, but he has the most reps of anybody in the offense,” said Fedora.
North Carolina’s rushing offense ranked seventh in the ACC last season, and every player who ran the ball in 2014 will be returning. That includes Williams, the team’s leader in rushing yards and touchdowns and veteran backs T.J. Logan and Romar Morris.
Competing for time at running back will be sophomore Elijah Hood, who rushed for 197 yards and four touchdowns on 57 carries as a true freshman last season.
Many wide receivers will return in 2015 as well, but the most productive may be junior Ryan Switzer. Last season, he had a team-high of 61 catches for 757 yards while scoring four touchdowns and throwing one as well. In 2013, he tied the NCAA record for punt return touchdowns with five.
The Tar Heels also have a lot of choices for protecting Williams and the backs, since every offensive lineman who started a game in 2014 will return in 2015. This group allowed 28 sacks last season, which includes Third-Team All-ACC right guard Landon Turner.
An area of concern for North Carolina other than the defense will be on special teams. The Tar Heels lost starting punter Tommy Hibbard and starting kicker Thomas Moore to graduation.
Taking over for Hibbard is 2012 walk-on Joey Mangili. Moore’s replacement, walk-on Nick Weiler, split time at place-kicker during Moore’s senior season.
North Carolina will have to improve on the defensive side of the ball to have success in 2015. The addition of a new defensive coordinator and coaching staff may help the Tar Heels improve, but they will be tested with a season opener against the South Carolina Gamecocks in Charlotte.