UNC Football: Chazz Surratt named AP Preseason 2nd Team All-American

Heading into his senior season, UNC football standout Chazz Surratt has earned preseason honors from the Associated Press.

Chazz Surratt has definitely had an interesting journey in Chapel Hill. As he heads into his final collegiate season, the 23-year-old has earned some preseason honors from some notable news outlets.

The Associated Press recently released their annual preseason All-American teams. These teams are designed to highlight players who are standouts at their respective positions. Surratt is the lone Tar Heel on the list, as he’s earned second team preseason All-American honors.

Who would have thought that Surratt never played a snap at linebacker in his football career prior to last season? The 6-foot-3 senior linebacker was recruited by North Carolina to play quarterback. As a redshirt freshman, Surratt appeared in nine games, and started seven of them. Although he played a majority of the team’s snaps in his first season, things would quickly change for Surratt and the Tar Heels.

After serving a four-game suspension to start the 2018 season, Surratt came back and quickly suffered a season-ending injury. At that point, his role as the future quarterback of the program was in doubt.

During the offseason, Surratt decided to switch positions. He went to the defensive side of the ball, where he joined the team’s linebacking core. With his athleticism and high football I.Q., this seemed to be a spot where Surratt could possibly develop over time.

Little did anyone know, it wouldn’t take long for Surratt to flourish in his new role. The junior led the Tar Heels with 115 tackles (15 tackles for loss), and also tallied 6.5 sacks and 10 quarterback hurries. He earned first team All-ACC honors, and came in second-place in ACC Defensive Player of the Year voting.

In most cases, players who put up numbers like Surratt did would elect to enter their name into the NFL Draft. However, the defensive standout wanted one more season in college, as he felt it would only benefit him as he continues to learn and grow in his new position.

Surratt was a surprise story last season, but the country is now well-aware of how good he is. There are high expectations for his senior season, as he should continue to be an anchor for Mack Brown’s defense in 2020.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates regarding the UNC football program.