# 2013 North Carolina Tar Heels football team

The 2013 North Carolina Tar Heels football team represented the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill as a member of Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) during the 2013 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was led by second-year head coach Larry Fedora and played their home games at Kenan Memorial Stadium. The Tar Heels finished the season 7–6 overall and 4–4 in ACC play to place fifth in the Coastal Division. They were invited to the Belk Bowl, where they defeated Cincinnati.

## Before the season
### Previous season

In his first year as head coach in a season that the UNC football team was ineligible for the ACC title, a bowl game and a ranking in the USA Today Coaches' Poll, Larry Fedora led the team to an 8–4 record. The offense finished the season ranked 14th out of 120 teams in terms of total yards per game. The defense finished the season ranked 56th out of 120 teams in terms of opponent total yards per game. North Carolina had at least eight victories in four of the five years from 2008 to 2012. The eight wins in 2008 and 2009 were vacated due to NCAA penalty. The last time North Carolina had more than eight victories was in 1997.

### Spring practice

Marquise Williams, Bryn Renner's backup quarterback in the 2012 season, was not enrolled in classes at UNC in the spring semester. UNC coach Larry Fedora said Williams may re-enroll at UNC during the summer. After the spring football game in April 2013, Fedora said that if the season started, early enrollee freshman quarterback Mitch Trubisky would be the second-string quarterback.

### Recruiting

Prior to National Signing Day, four high school players that graduated early and received scholarship offers to play football at North Carolina enrolled for the spring semester, allowing them to participate in spring practice. These included: quarterback Mitch Trubisky, wide receiver Jordan Fieulleteau, running back Kris Francis, and offensive tackle R. J. Prince. On February 6, 2013 thirteen additional players signed their National Letter of Intent to play at North Carolina that completed the 2013 recruiting class. Based on the March 2012 sanctions from the NCAA, North Carolina could only sign a maximum of 20 players per year for the next two years versus the regular limit of 25.
North Carolina's recruiting class was highlighted by five players from the "ESPN 300": No. 118 Brian Walker (CB); No. 159 Greg Webb (DT); No. 194 Johnathan Howard (WR); No. 219 Mitch Trubisky (QB); No. 275 Jordan Fieulleteau (WR). The Tar Heels signed the No. 42 recruiting class according to Rivals.com and the No. 29 recruiting class according to Scout.com. ESPN had North Carolina's class as the No. 21 recruiting class in the nation.
US college sports recruiting information for 2013 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | 40$^‡$ | Commit date |
| Brian Walker CB | Charlotte, NC | Mallard Creek HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 172 lb (78 kg) | 4.49 | Mar 20, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 84 |||||||
| Greg Webb DT | Erial, NJ | Timber Creek Regional HS | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | 298 lb (135 kg) | 5.20 | Jul 21, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Johnathan Howard WR | Rochelle, GA | Wilcox County HS | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 184 lb (83 kg) | 4.65 | Sep 23, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Mitch Trubisky QB | Mentor, OH | Mentor HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 193 lb (88 kg) | 4.70 | May 20, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 83 |||||||
| Jordan Fieulleteau WR | Raleigh, NC | Wakefield HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 200 lb (91 kg) | 5.07 | Feb 13, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 82 |||||||
| Khris Francis RB | Durham, NC | Hillside HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 185 lb (84 kg) | 4.59 | Feb 8, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| Lucas Crowley OC | Saint Augustine, FL | Nease HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 270 lb (120 kg) | 5.30 | Jul 28, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 81 |||||||
| T. J. Logan ATH | Greensboro, NC | Northern Guilford HS | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | 175 lb (79 kg) | 4.50 | Jul 10, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| R.J. Prince OT | Albemarle, NC | Albemarle HS | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 300 lb (140 kg) | 5.05 | Feb 19, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Nazair Jones DE | Roanoke Rapids, NC | Roanoke Rapids HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 247 lb (112 kg) | 4.75 | Jul 20, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Ryan Switzer WR | Charleston, WV | George Washington HS | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | 168 lb (76 kg) | 4.52 | Mar 28, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 80 |||||||
| Marquis Haynes DE | Jacksonville, FL | University Christian HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 223 lb (101 kg) | 4.65 | Aug 5, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 79 |||||||
| Dajaun Drennon DE | Erial, NJ | Timber Creek HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 228 lb (103 kg) | 4.70 | Jul 21, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 78 |||||||
| Donnie Miles ATH | Suwanee, GA | North Gwinnett HS | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | 198 lb (90 kg) | 4.50 | Mar 18, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Desmond Lawrence S | Charlotte, NC | Charlotte Christian School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 173 lb (78 kg) | 4.60 | Apr 7, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 76 |||||||
| Brad Henson Jr. OG | Surf City, NJ | Monsignor Donovan HS | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 295 lb (134 kg) | 5.2 | Dec 16, 2012 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 75 |||||||
| Mikey Bart TE | Buford, GA | Buford HS | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 245 lb (111 kg) | 4.75 | Jan 11, 2013 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: N/A ESPN grade: 74 |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: 41 Rivals: 40 |||||||
| ‡ Refers to 40 yard dash Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height, weight and 40 time. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "North Carolina Commit List for 2013". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013. "Scout.com Football Recruiting: North Carolina". Scout.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013. "RecruitTracker 2013: North Carolina". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013. "Scout.com Team Recruiting Rankings". Scout.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013. "2013 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved February 11, 2013. |||||||

## Personnel
### Coaching staff

North Carolina head coach Larry Fedora entered his second year as the North Carolina's head coach for the 2013 season. After his first year of coaching, Fedora led the Tar Heels to an eight wins and four losses, but post season ineligibility ended their season after their final regular season game. Defensive line coach Deke Adams left the Tar Heels to coach the same position at South Carolina. On February 5, 2013, Illinois defensive line coach Keith Gilmore was hired to replace Deke Adams. David Duggan the outside linebackers coach and special teams coordinator left North Carolina for Southern Mississippi after one season of coaching. Larry Fedora then hired Arizona State coach Ron West to become the new co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach.

### Returning starters

Offense :
| Player | Class | Position |
| Russell Bodine | Junior | Center |
| James Hurst | Senior | Left Tackle |
| Bryn Renner | Senior | Quarterback |
| Landon Turner | Sophomore | Right Guard |
| A.J. Blue | Senior | Running Back |
| Eric Ebron | Junior | Tight End |
| Jack Tabb | Junior | Tight End |
| Quinshad Davis | Sophomore | Wide Receiver |
| Mark McNeill | Junior | Wide Receiver |
| Sean Tapley | Junior | Wide Receiver |
| Reference: |||
Defense :
| Player | Class | Position |
| Jabari Price | Senior | Cornerback |
| Tim Scott | Junior | Cornerback |
| Kareem Martin | Senior | Defensive End |
| Tommy Heffernan | Senior | Linebacker |
| Travis Hughes | Junior | Linebacker |
| Darius Lipford | Senior | Linebacker |
| Tim Jackson | Senior | Nose Tackle |
| Shawn Underwood | Junior | Nose Tackle |
| Tre Boston | Senior | Safety |
| Darien Rankin | Sophomore | Safety |
| Sam Smiley | Sophomore | Safety |
| Reference: |||
Special Teams :
| Player | Class | Position |
| Parker Thomas | Senior | Deep snapper |
| Sean Tapley | Junior | Kickoff returner |
| Thomas Moore | Junior | Place-kicker/Kickoff |
| Tommy Hibbard | Junior | Punter |
| Reference: |||

### Depth chart

Defense :
* S
* S_Starter
* S_Backup
* FS
* Tre Boston
* Kameron Jackson
| WLB | SLB |
| WLB_Starter | SLB_Starter |
| WLB_Backup | SLB_Backup |
* SS
* Dominique Green
* Darien Rankin
* CB
* Jabari Price
* Alex Dixon
| DE | DT | DT | DE |
| Kareem Martin | Tim Jackson | Ethan Farmer | Norkeithus Otis |
| Junior Gnonkonde | Justin Thomason | Shawn Underwood | Darius Lipford |
* CB
* Tim Scott
* T.J. Jiles
Offense :
* WR
* Kendrick Singleton
* Ryan Switzer
* WR
* Quinshad Davis
* T.J. Thorpe
| LT | LG | C | RG | RT |
| James Hurst | Caleb Peterson | Russell Bodine | Landon Turner | Jon Heck |
| John Ferranto | Will Dancy | Lucas Crowley | David Collins | Kiaro Holts |
* TE
* Eric Ebron
* Jack Tabb
* WR
* Sean Tapley
* Mark McNeill
* QB
* Bryn Renner
* Marquise Williams
* Special teams
* PK Thomas Moore
* P Tommy Hibbard
* KR Sean Tapley
* PR T.J. Thorpe
* LS Mack Lloyd
* RB
* Romar Morris
* A.J. Blue

## Schedule

| Date | Time | Opponent | Site | TV | Result | Attendance |
| August 29 | 6:00 p.m. | at No. 6 South Carolina* | Williams–Brice StadiumColumbia, SC (rivalry) | ESPN | L 10–27 | 81,572 |
| September 7 | 12:30 p.m. | Middle Tennessee* | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCN | W 40–20 | 48,000 |
| September 21 | 12:00 p.m. | at Georgia Tech | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA | ESPN | L 20–28 | 49,445 |
| September 28 | 12:30 p.m. | East Carolina* | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCN | L 31–55 | 60,000 |
| October 5 | 12:30 p.m. | at Virginia Tech | Lane StadiumBlacksburg, VA | ACCN | L 17–27 | 65,632 |
| October 17 | 7:30 p.m. | No. 10 Miami (FL) | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ESPN | L 23–27 | 56,000 |
| October 26 | 3:30 p.m. | Boston College | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCRSN | W 34–10 | 43,000 |
| November 2 | 12:30 p.m. | at NC State | Carter–Finley StadiumRaleigh, NC (rivalry) | ACCN | W 27–19 | 57,583 |
| November 9 | 12:30 p.m. | Virginia | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (South's Oldest Rivalry) | ACCN | W 45–14 | 50,000 |
| November 16 | 12:30 p.m. | at Pittsburgh | Heinz FieldPittsburgh, PA | ACCN | W 34–27 | 50,049 |
| November 23 | 12:00 p.m. | Old Dominion* | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC | ACCRSN | W 80–20 | 41,500 |
| November 30 | 12:00 p.m. | No. 24 Duke | Kenan Memorial StadiumChapel Hill, NC (Victory Bell) | ESPN2 | L 25–27 | 62,000 |
| December 28 | 3:20 p.m. | vs. Cincinnati* | Bank of America StadiumCharlotte, NC (Belk Bowl) | ESPN | W 39–17 | 45,211 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the gameAll times are in Eastern time ||||||||

## NFL draft

Five former players were selected in the 2014 NFL draft:
| Round | Pick | Overall | Player | Position | NFL Team |
| 1st | 10 | 10 | Eric Ebron | Tight end | Detroit Lions |
| 3rd | 20 | 84 | Kareem Martin | Defensive end | Arizona Cardinals |
| 4th | 11 | 111 | Russell Bodine | Center | Cincinnati Bengals |
| 4th | 28 | 128 | Tre Boston | Safety | Carolina Panthers |
| 7th | 10 | 225 | Jabari Price | Cornerback | Minnesota Vikings |