Mack Brown evaluates UNC's running back room, who leads charge

Mack Brown and his North Carolina Tar Heels have been facing the daunting task of replacing multiple offensive stars to the NFL Draft after last season. Brown already has his eyes on who can step up in the running back room in 2022.

“I think we know that British [Brooks] is good, we know that DJ Jones is good … We’ve been impressed with both Elijah Green and George Pettaway,” Brown said of his running back room. “The spring [Pettaway] has made a huge run in every scrimmage. Today is the first time he really didn’t have a breakaway, we’ve just got to make sure that he protects the ball.”

Brown’s concern with Pettaway, an early enrollee freshman at UNC and top-10 running back recruit in the 2022 class, is ball security. Brown noted that a lot of incoming high school prospects are lackadaisical when it comes to holding on to the ball no matter how many stars are next to their name. That, however, is a quick fix in the eyes of Brown.

Likewise, Jones, who Brown pointed out as a player he’s had an eye on for extended playing time next season, was given 60 rushing attempts during his sophomore season in 2021 and rushed for 253 yards, a significant boost from his true freshman season’s 11 carries for 65 yards, though, he did score a touchdown — something he has yet to do since thanks to injuries that have kept his rushing numbers inconsistent throughout his career.

“DJ has just got to stay healthy. He’s been healthy all spring and he did some good things today,” Brown said.

Deeper in the running back room, Caleb Hood and Kamarro Edmonds are two running backs that have been injured and unable to produce this spring. Hood took 22 carries 97 yards for the Tar Heels during his freshman season in 2021, and if healthy could see a healthy dose of minutes in Brown’s backfield this fall. Edmonds is an open book after a redshirting his freshman year last season, but was a former four-star recruit.

Losing star running back Ty Chandler and his 1,092 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns to the 2022 NFL Draft hurts almost as much as losing quarterback Sam Howell as well.

North Carolina’s running back room and offensive unit as a whole are trying to find the guy that will lead the Tar Heels’ offense to the top of the ACC in 2022. With Brown focused on a four-man consistent running back rotation with Brooks and Jones carrying most of the load with Green and Pettaway falling in when needed, could that star come from the running back room? Or will Brown lean on another star quarterback as he’s done in the past.