Best Defensive Player: Senior LB Durell Mapp. This could change very, very quickly as some of the true freshmen, led by Marvin Austin, have more raw talent than anyone else on the defense. Mapp doesn’t make enough plays against the pass for a weakside linebacker and he could stand to be better against the run, but he’s a good tackler and the leader of the defensive front.
Key player to a successful season: Junior S Trimane Goddard. Oh sure, the quarterback situation will undergo the most scrutiny, but T.J. Yates, Mike Paulus and Cam Sexton will turn out to be fine. For UNC to start winning, it needs the defense to be up to Davis snuff, and that starts with the return of Goddard. When he broke his foot last August, the Tar Heel secondary lost one of its rising stars, a punishing strong safety with the ball skills and speed of a corner. Healthy again, he’s primed to give a much-needed boost to a Carolina defense that had just two picks through the first ten games of last year.
