Friday, May 1, 2009

UNC's Davis balances a scholarship equation

Butch Davis promised it would work out.

With Angelo Hadley's exit from the UNC football program before he got there, the Tar Heels coach was right. His over-recruiting strategy balanced out in the end.

What was once a 17-scholarship discrepancy is likely to work out to an even 24 signees to 24 available scholarships.

Rewind to December — UNC had 29 commitments with 12 seniors departing the program.

Then receiver Hakeem Nicks left early for the NFL (13 departures).

Four more players, including quarterback Cam Sexton, graduated and left the program (17). Three players received a medical hardship (20). Four players were dismissed from the team (24).

Hadley's effective departure (released from his letter of intent on Thursday) means there are 28 signees for 24 scholarships. Freshmen Joshua Adams and Kevin Reddick have already enrolled which means it's really 26 players for 22 spots.

Miller Safrit, Scout.com's national editor, said the final four spots will likely be resolved before August.

Ray-Ray Davis, a receiver from Monroe, is prepared to go to junior college in Hutchinson, Kan., Safrit said.

Justin Dixon, a linebacker from Smithfield-Selma, and Jheranie Boyd, a receiver from Gastonia Ashbrook, have to "improve their academic standing," Safrit said, or they will have to enroll in a prep school.

Donovan Tate, a quarterback from Cartersville, Ga., is considered one of the best high school prospects in baseball and is likely to be a first-round pick in the MLB Draft in June.

That's how 29-for-12 turns into 24-for-24.

They're gone:

Seniors
1. WR Cooter Arnold
2. G Bryon Bishop
3. P Terrence Brown
4. G Calvin Darity
5. WR Brooks Foster
6. S Trimane Goddard
7. S Jabir Jones
8. LB Mark Paschal
9. TE Richard Quinn
10. T Garrett Reynolds
11. WR Brandon Tate
12. LB Chase Rice

Early to NFL
13. WR Hakeem Nicks

Graduation
14. QB Cam Sexton
15. RB Richie Rich
16. WR Kenton Thornton
17. TE B.J. Phillips

Medical hardship
18. T Zack Henderson
19. G Mike Dykes
20. G Morgan Randall

Dismissed
21. WR Anthony Parker-Boyd
22. CB Tavorris Jolly
23. DE Darius Powell
24. LB Kenny Harris

Not coming
25. S Angelo Hadley (released from LOI)
26. WR Ray-Ray Davis (juco)
27. QB Donovan Tate (baseball?)
28. LB Justin Dixon (prep school?)
29. WR Jheranie Boyd (prep school?)

-- J.P. Giglio

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

Sounds like we are losing our best talent from the recuiting class. Other then Donte Moss, we are losing our best WR, LB, and overall athlete. I dont think this is much better.

Anonymous said...

Interesting how many medical hardships they've had recently. UNC must have really tough practices or their medical department can't get anybody back to healthy...

Anonymous said...

Its amazing how Butch Davis was able to clear space through graduation/transfers and medical hardships(sarcasm). Davis is a slimball and will always find a way to snake around the rules.

Anonymous said...

14 kids have left the UNC football team since 2002 due to medical reasons. 14!!!!!!! How are all these kids getting hurt so badly to have career ending injuries? A lot of these aren't even during games. As the poster said above, that's just slime ball tactics. You tell a kid who's not that great that if he keeps his mouth shut, he still gets school paid for. Not saying that all cases are the same, but 14?? My God.

What about that world renowned hospital right beside the stadium?

And for comparison's sake - even with the ridiculous injuries NC State has had in recent years (Remember when they had < 60 scholarship players available to play last year at one point due to injuries??), students have received 2 medical hardships since 2002.

14 >> 2.

Slime ball tactics, incredibly bad luck, or worst conditioning coach ever?

Anonymous said...

"You don't know who’s going to get hurt and have career-ending injuries" - Butch 02/03/2009

Since then, 3 people have had off season career ending injuries.

GaertnerFarms said...

That is a ton of attrition! Show me another program that treats its players like they are no better than last week's garbage to be thrown to the curb. There cannot be many programs that allow this or can sustain this practice for long before their image is tarnished and they are forced to 'clean house'. I just wonder what current high school coaches and players are thinking when they see these shenanigans going on.

Anonymous said...

If I were a high school football coach or parent of a D1 prospect, I would NEVER want them to play at UNC under Butch Davis. His ethical conduct is lacking, it will not take long for it to resonate throughout his team. They will win some games but never have a truly great team under him. Along the way continue to demand more $$$ each year and then finally leave for a greener pasture.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Coach Davis should keep some of his players instead of forcing them into medical hardships...maybe then he wouldn't lose by 31 points to his biggest rival.

Anonymous said...

You're all retarded. Talking about Butch Davis being a slimeball and saying there have been shady dealings since 2004. Butch didn't even arrive until the 2006-2007 offseason. And anyone who knows anything about UNC football knows Zack Handerson has had injury problems since he arrived in 2006. And isn't the point of getting rid of all of these players to make room for better players that fit Davis' scheme? Therefore, it doesn't make any sense to say that getting rid of crap talent is the reason we lost to State. Maybe the reason we lost to State by 31 is we had 6 turnovers and the defense quit in the third quarter because the offense couldn't do anything (similar to the NC State game against South Car. earlier in the season).

Anonymous said...

I see the Wuffies fans are out in force! People kill me thinking "addition by subraction" don't go on at EVERY school.

Anonymous said...

Don't worry -- $anta Blake will recruit $ome more unc-ch playa$ $oon.

Anonymous said...

Davis is throwing good kids under the bus. What a shame., not only for the integrity of the program, but for the kids.