North Carolina Tar Heels: True Freshmen To Watch in 2020

Every February (and now December) college football teams sign a new class of football players to join their program. It’s exciting to dream about what a prospect can become in the future but come September, some of those freshman will redshirt and wait for their opportunity to shine, while a few will be given the chance to make an immediate impact this season. In this series we will take a team by team look at the true freshman who could be given the opportunity to make a name for themselves in 2020. Today we will look at a few North Carolina Tar Heels true freshmen to watch in 2020.

Ja’Qurious Conley – S

Conley is a versatile defender who could play safety or a coverage linebacker spot for the Tar Heels. That versatility will help him see playing time as a true freshman. At safety, the Tar Heels lost Myles Dorn who was third on the team last year with 83 tackles. We expect Don Chapman to step in and do a good job replacing him but more depth will be needed as Chapman played a good amount last year as well. At outside linebacker, North Carolina lost Dominique Ross who was fourth on the team with 60 tackles last year. A younger player like Eugene Asante could step in here but it’s no sure thing that he is ready to be a major contributor. The lost production from these two players will be a lot to replace either way. Conley should be able to see the field, at least as a reserve at safety or as a coverage linebacker in certain situations.

Ja’Qurious Conley recorded 52 tackles, 3 fumbles forced and 3 interceptions in 2019 for Northside High School in North Carolina. He has good height, length and athleticism with a frame to add a good amount of weight over his career. Conley is a good athlete with the speed and change of direction skills to play safety in college. He has the instincts and ball skills to create turnovers in the secondary. He is also, a good tackler who as he gets bigger could play in the box as a run defender. With his diverse skill set Conley can be a unique player at two positions at least. This ability will allow him to provide depth at multiple spots and become a contributor as a true freshman.

Desmond Evans – DE

North Carolina lost both starting defensive tackles from last years team which would normally not impact a true freshmen defensive end’s ability to play early, but this time it could. The Tar Heels played Ray Vohasek and Tomari Fox at defensive end last year but one or both could slide inside to help at tackle in 2020. This will open up playing time at defensive end for a player like Evans especially in pass rushing situations. Linebacker Tomon Fox led the team with 7 sacks last season but the leader in sacks among defensive linemen was senior tackle Aaron Crawford with three. The Tar Heels need to add pass rushing ability to the defensive line in a big way. We believe Evans will provide a boost as a pass rusher for the Tar Heels right away and see playing time because of it.

Desmond Evans collected 37 sacks over his last three years at Lee County High School in North Carolina. He is a tall defensive end with good length and plenty of room to add strength and bulk. He has a quick first step and good overall quickness to pursue the play. He has the athletic and physical traits to be a great pass rusher in college right away. While Evans needs to continue to add weight he shows good effort against the run and uses his length well to disengage blockers. He will have the opportunity to rush the passer as a true freshman because the Tar Heels will need his skill set, but if he can get stronger and hone his pass rushing skills some it may become difficult to take Evans off the field.

Myles Murphy – DL

The Tar Heels lost both starting defensive tackles from last year. Xach Gill and Jahlil Taylor will be in the mix to see a bump in playing time at tackle along with the aforementioned ends Tomari Fox and Ray Vohasek. While the Tar Heels can juggle players around some, they will need a couple young players to step up and provide depth along the defensive line. Incoming freshman Kedrick Bingley-Jones suffered a leg injury and may not be ready right away and Clyde Pinder Jr. is more of a pure tackle. Myles Murphy fits the mold of a player who can play both defensive end and the three technique as a tackle. Regardless of whether he is needed inside or outside he can provide depth at both spots allowing North Carolina to move players around as needed depending on the situation.

Myles Murphy had 21 TFL and 9.5 sacks as a senior at Dudley High School in North Carolina. Murphy has a strong build and will have the size to play the three technique but also has the quickness to play at defensive end. He will be a mismatch for interior offensive linemen with his quickness and can over power blockers on the outside. Murphy is a capable run defender who does a good job of holding up at the point of attack. His positional versatility makes Murphy likely to see playing time as a true freshmen at both defensive tackle and defensive end depending on what the Tar Heels need at the time. We expect Murphy to be in the rotation along the defensive line all season long.

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Kenan Memorial Stadium at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill image taken by William Yeaung is licensed under CC BY 2.0.