Preseason Top 25 (North Carolina)
By Jimmie Allen
Oct 27, 2012; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Bryn Renner (2) looks to pass in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
With College Football just 11 weeks away, Husker Corner will bring you a daily look inside the top 25 of the College Football rankings. We will start with No. 25 and reveal one team every day. Today we start with No. 25 the North Carolina Tar Heels.
These rankings are the rankings of HuskerCorner.com.
Junior to be Bryn Renner returns for his 3rd season as the starting quarterback. Renner and first year head coach Larry Fedora had a lot of success last season, but that success was built off a powerful rushing attack. Leading rusher Giovani Bernard has left for the NFL, and his 5.2 yard per cary average is production that is going to have to be replaced. The offense will be built around Renner, who may be an NFL talent in his own right, but the question remains who will fill Bernard’s shoes?
Senior A.J. Blue is the leading candidate to be the featured back for the Heels in 2013. He did average 5.3 yards a carry in backup duty behind Bernard last season. There will not be much experience behind him. The No. 2 option will more than likely be sophomore Romar Morris, who saw 69 carries last season. The wild card in the rotation will be freshman and former 3 star recruit Khris Fancis. The North Carolina native flew under the radar of most Division 1 schools, and only drew scholarships from UNC, Clemson, and Syracuse. He will more than likely redshirt, but he will compete.
With a lack of depth at running back, and no real proven guy to carry the load the offense will lean on Renner, but who will he throw to? Former Rivals 250 member and 6-foot-4 sophomore Quinshad Davis will be the No. 1 option in the offense. At 6-foot-4 Davis is a big target, and has big play potential every time he touches the ball. He will be on NFL scouts big boards next year.
Junior Kareem Martin is one of just 10 returning starters from a year ago on the whole team. It will be a big rebuilding process for UNC on defense, but Martin is as sold of a building block as there is in the country. Martin is a preseason 1st team All-ACC pick at defensive end. In an outstanding Spring Game performance Martin had 4 sacks, and 6 tackles for loss. The 6-foot-6, 260 lb. senior to be will be an NFL Draft pick in the first 3 rounds.
By Jimmie Allen
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