UNC will be without 2 best running backs in Orange Bowl. Here’s who replaces them
Running back Javonte Williams arrived 10 minutes early before North Carolina football coaches held their practice meeting Saturday to inform them of his decision not to play Saturday against Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl.
It was too late to make major changes in the daily practice plan. The team didn’t practice at all Sunday or Monday. That leaves Tuesday through kickoff on Saturday for the No. 14 Tar Heels to come up with a way to beat No. 5 Texas A&M without their two top running backs.
Williams joined UNC running back Michael Carter, leading receiver Dyami Brown and linebacker Chazz Surratt — their leading tackler — in opting out of the Orange Bowl in order to prepare for the NFL draft.
“Are we built to replace them immediately? Eh, we’re not in as good a shape right now as we will be a year from now,” UNC coach Mack Brown said. “But we’ve also learned from this because this seems to be the norm now. We’re gonna have people leaving every year and since that’s the case, we can’t be surprised or we can’t be disappointed. We just have to be thankful and step up and move forward.”
For Carolina’s running game, that means finding a way to replace the combined 2,385 yards and 28 touchdowns Williams and Carter recorded with backs who have never started and never recorded a 100-yard game. But they are eager for the opportunity.
Brown said after particularly physical games, he would give Carter and Williams a break in practice and give junior British Brooks and sophomore Josh Henderson a chance to get first team reps.
“Most of the time, British and Josh Henderson have been taking the reps, the physical reps on Tuesday and Wednesday,” Brown said. “They’ve practiced all year so they know what to do. They’re very physical and they’ll carry the most of the load on Saturday night.”
Brooks had a career-high 57 yards in the 2018 season against Western Carolina. He’s only totaled nine carries this season for 46 yards. Henderson rushed for a career-high 98 yards against Mercer last season, but only had 12 carries this year, also for 46 yards. They’ve played so little at running back in games, only the Heels who have seen them perform in practice really know what to expect.
“What I’ve seen from British, he’s really good and really patient at at finding the holes and fitting off the guard and knowing when to cut it up and when the bounce the ball (outside),” UNC linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said. “He’s also really good at his angle routes running out of the backfield. The same with Josh Henderson. They have very good speed just like Javonte and Mike and I feel like what Mike has set in the running back room, what Javonte set in the running back room that’s just the picture to show that UNC is going to have good backs for a long time.”
Brooks, who is a special teams’ captain, and Henderson will have their roles limited on special teams to keep them fresh for their offensive roles.
Freshman Elijah Green is their third option at running back. He’s carried the ball in three games this season — gaining 43 yards against Western Carolina — but is behind the others in terms of being effective in the passing game. Freshman D.J. Jones suffered a foot injury and is out until spring practice begins.
Brown said when he gets asked about the biggest differences in the game since he came out of retirement, players who opt not to play is certainly one of them. But he’s not bitter about it. Brown said it’s his job to help players position themselves to have options once they leave UNC that will improve their lives.
Under former coach Larry Fedora, Williams was a short-yardage and goal-line back. Now, he’s one of the nation’s best running backs who will be a high NFL draft pick.
“Will some people be disappointed? Yeah, but if it’s best for him and his family, that’s what he’s going to do,” Brown said. “If you had a better opportunity for you, you would take it, that’s what you’re going to do. So really and truly, we should be celebrating the success that those four guys (Williams, Carter, Surratt, Dyami Brown) had because we wouldn’t be in the Orange Bowl without them.”
This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 5:37 PM.