North Carolina Football: 2017 season preview, predictions

Offense

Fedora is known as an offensive guru. 2017 will put that to the test. At its peak in 2015, UNC was a balanced passing and rushing juggernaut averaging over 200 yards in both categories. Last year, the running game took a step back as the offense focused more on the passing game with second overall pick Mitch Trubisky. Carolina not only loses its star quarterback but its running back duo and its three best receivers.

Last year, Elijah Hood averaged 5.9 yards per carry and TJ Logan averaged 5.4. Hood entered the draft after an injury-plagued junior year, and the versatile Logan graduated. Sophomore Jordon Brown is the only returning running back. He carried the ball 20 times for just 45 yards and a touchdown last year. Auburn grad transfer Stanton Truitt is the other running back expected to get significant time. He had 287 total yards, 2 rushing touchdowns, and 1 receiving touchdown for the Tigers last season.

The receiving corps might be even more depleted. Ryan Switzer graduated as the single season and career leader in receptions and led the team with 1,112 yards last season to become the career leader in that category too. The Heels also lost Bug Howard, who led the team with eight touchdowns last year, and Mack Hollins, who led the team in yards and touchdowns in 2015 but was knocked out for the season against Miami. The only returning weapon is senior Austin Proehl, who was third on the team last year with 43 receptions and 597 yards.

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The offensive line is anchored by senior offensive tackle Bentley Spain. It will be bolstered this season by grad transfers Cameron Dillard from Florida and Khaliel Rodgers from USC.

Can Fedora’s system produce a quarterback?

System quarterback is so often used as an insult, but if you are a Carolina fan, you are rooting for just that this year. Fedora’s system has worked with three different quarterbacks in his five years at North Carolina, including one left over from the previous coaching staff.

No one thought Trubisky would be leaving after his junior year. A combination of a weak draft class and Trubisky flourishing in Fedora’s system threw a wrench in their plans. Now, the Heels will turn to a grad transfer and try to develop their crop of underclassmen.

Former LSU quarterback Brandon Harris is the presumed starter even though Fedora is yet to see him throw a football live. Harris will be asked to do more than he ever was at LSU. Fedora’s system prizes accuracy, something he isn’t known. Harris had a 54 percent completion percentage and a 20-10 touchdown-interception ratio with LSU.

Fedora is well aware of his predicament:

"I think the biggest question for me is at the quarterback spot, and we have a graduate transfer that we’ve added to that competition group, and so how quickly all of those guys can integrate, how quickly they can become a part of our team, that’s the unknown for me."

Unfortunately, the weapons surrounding whomever Fedora chooses will be learning on the fly as well.