Mack Brown explains the dynamic within North Carolina's running back room

North Carolina football coach Mack Brown has no shortage of talented running backs entering the 2023 season. With kickoff a little less than two months away, he is starting to get a better idea of what each player’s role will be.

Brown plans to use two main running backs while also having a third ready to go in case one of them gets injured. As things stand right now, he expects Elijah Green and Omarion Hampton to be the two leaders in the backfield to begin the year.

“We’ve basically had so many good running backs and a lot of them have been hurt,” Brown said in a summer update press conference. “So it’s been a really weird dynamic in that room. We’ve really talked about we’d like to have a two-plus-one. We’d like to have two running backs that are gonna play and one ready to step up if one of them gets hurt. Then the other guys that are talented, maybe find something they can do in special teams or third-down back or something.

“Right now, I would see Elijah Green and Omarion Hampton being the two that would go out there first. They were healthy all spring and practiced all spring and the other guys were banged up some.”

Quarterback Drake Maye actually finished as the Tar Heels’ leading rusher this past season with 698 yards and seven touchdowns. Green, however, was right behind him with 558 yards and eight scores. Hampton came in third with 401 yards and six TDs.

It seems that is again what the dynamic will be to start 2023, however, there are a couple of question marks due to injuries that occurred last season. To start, British Brooks began last season expected to be the starting running back before suffering a season-ending leg injury in fall camp. He returns for a sixth season after totaling 295 yards and four touchdowns on 31 carries in 2021.

Caleb Hood also suffered a season-ending injury seven games into this past year. Before that, however, he had started four games and had his best game of the season against Miami, rushing for 74 yards while also hauling in five receptions for 50 yards.

Finally, the Tar Heels also have George Pettaway, the No. 7 running back in the 2022 class according to the On3 Industry Rating, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

“George was doing really well and he sprained his ankle and missed the latter part of spring,” Brown said. “Most of spring, really, but the latter part for sure. Caleb Hood’s been hurt and now he’s healthy. He was down to 220. I talked to him Friday at lunch. So he’s in great shape. All of ’em have a tremendous attitude, so I like what I see from them.

“…But we can’t have a little bit of all of ’em. We’ve gotta have somebody that if you can put ’em in the game, our deal has always been if he takes over the game and he’s hot leave him in. If not, play ’em about five plays each until one of ’em takes over.”

With the return of Maye and this group of running backs, North Carolina will hope its offense can make it a contender in the ACC. The Tar Heels are set to kick off the 2023 season on Sept. 2 with a test against South Carolina.