Four UNC players opt out of season, including senior DB D.J. Ford
Three more University of North Carolina football players have opted out of the 2020 season, a team spokesman told reporters Friday afternoon.
Defensive backs D.J. Ford, Javon Terry and Bryce Watts are all choosing to sit out this season because of COVID-19. Offensive lineman Triston Miller was the first player to opt out for UNC, per an email from the team spokesman Thursday. Miller is opting out for “personal reasons.”
None of the players who opted out nor coach Mack Brown were available to media following practice Friday.
Brown had spoken highly of this year’s secondary leading up to the first day of practice Thursday. He said the group can “be really special,” and that it’s one of the positions with the most depth. That will come in handy with the opt outs.
Ford will be the biggest loss for the Tar Heels’ secondary. He made seven starts in 2019, recording 54 tackles, 2 1/2 tackles for loss, and one sack. In UNC’s win against Georgia Tech, Ford intercepted James Graham with 36 seconds left in the game. He also had a fumble recovery in the six overtime game against Virginia Tech.
It’s unclear what Ford’s eligibility to play next season will be. He took a redshirt season in 2017 after suffering a season-ending injury in the opener against Cal. The NCAA has not yet made a decision on whether fall sports athletes will be granted another year of eligibility if they opt out or their season is canceled.
Terry appeared in all 13 games last year as a redshirt freshman. He had four tackles, one tackle for loss and a sack.
For Watts, it will be his second season off from football. After playing his true freshman and sophomore seasons at Virginia Tech, Watts transferred to UNC. Per NCAA transfer rules, he had to sit out the 2019 season.
Miller did not see any action last season as a true freshman. He would have been a redshirt freshman this year.
Prior to the start of official practices, Brown had emphasized that he and his staff have encouraged their players to communicate concerns and questions about the upcoming season.
“We have asked our players, our coaches and our staff every time we’ve talked to them, ‘If anybody is uncomfortable with this, go home. Keep your scholarship, keep your salary. We’ll see you when this stuff is over,’” Brown said. “And we have no problems with that. It’s not a macho thing. Tell me, tell your coach, have your parents call us. We want to make sure that no one is uncomfortable.”
Recent NCAA legislation has ruled that schools must honor the scholarships of players who choose to opt out. Schools must also cover the medical expenses for players who have COVID-19 in order to prevent out-of-pocket expenses for players and their families.
Orange County officials recently penned letters to UNC officials asking them to delay the start of in-person classes. In a letter to UNC Chancellor Kevin Guskiewicz, the county health director, Quintana Stewart said she fears the schools efforts to mitigate the spread of coronavirus “will not be enough to contain the full campus community upon return for the Fall Semester.”