UNC Football is Moving a Running Back to Defensive Back
By Jordan Falls
The UNC football coaching staff is making some moves among the running back unit, and that includes some position changes.
In our UNC football running back preview, we discussed just how crowded the position room was. At the time of that preview, we discussed six different players who could have an impact on the field for the Tar Heels out of the backfield.
There was (and still is) plenty of uncertainty around the position and who the bell-cow running back will be for the 2023 season for the Carolina offense.
However, in the past 10 days, that running back room has gotten smaller. Earlier this week, Mack Brown spoke with reporters and discussed the potential of running back George Pettaway moving to slot wide receiver. Now, another running back is moving out of the offensive backfield.
Just under a year ago, D.J. Jones was #UNC’s starting running back in the team’s season opener. But since the spring, he’s gone from avoiding tackles to learning how to make them. More on how Jones has made the transition to defense:https://t.co/6Ib8hm5Nu0 pic.twitter.com/IUiq6HuoU0
— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) August 17, 2023
As first reported on Thursday by InsideCarolina, the UNC coaching staff is exploring moving former running back DJ Jones from the offensive backfield to the defensive backfield. This was a position change suggested by Jones himself during the offseason hoping that it would allow him to get on the field and contribute to his team more:
"I feel like I could do more for the team than what I was doing last year. I feel like I can do that at any other position than what they had me doing last year. I just told Mack that if there’s any other place that he could see me playing, that I would do that for the team."
Turns out that Jones may have a significant opportunity soon on the field with several injuries to defensive backs, as DeAndre Boykins, Stick Lane, Lejond Cavazos, and Will Hardy have all dealt with various injuries. The defensive secondary was a position of weakness in 2022, and the UNC football program will look to improve in this area for the 2023 season.
It will remain to be seen what type of role DJ Jones can carve out as the newest full-time member of this positional group.
Next. UNC Football: 2023 Positional Preview: Defensive Line. dark
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