PEMBROKE — While National Signing Day has lost some of its luster the last two years with the addition of the early signing period, The University of North Carolina at Pembroke football team looks forward to this day to bolster its roster for the future.
Coming off an abysmal 2-8 season and currently in the midst of a two-year stretch that has produced the lowest win total in program history, momentum for the future can be won and lost on the recruiting trail. And for the second straight year, UNCP has a selling point with the NC Promise reduced tuition program, that paid dividends last season.
Last year, the Braves welcomed the largest signing day class in program history with 32 players. With a small senior class of six players departing, and an unsure number of players transferring out of the program, the number of open spaces aren’t as prevalent, but the need for more talent is there.
The entrance of younger talent is needed to help revive a team with upperclassmen that have suffered through a pair of two-win seasons, and some areas will see the departure of talent and need to have depth built up.
High expectations were put on the defensive line coming into the year, and while the defensive front thrived rushing the passer in the first six games with 20 combined sacks. For the final four games, the Braves got to the quarterback twice. The likes of former All-American Tyler Hinton, Tajai Liles and Nathan London have graduated, and now one focal point needed to be addressed on Wednesday.
Last season, pass-heavy teams had no problem moving the ball vertically against the Braves as five of the 10 opponents threw for over 200 yards. UNCP collected six interceptions in 2018, but only had one pick in the first five games, where only two of the teams finished the season with a winning record.
A majority of the secondary returns, but the likes of Josh Manns and Bikembe Kearney are major holes to the defensive backfield that need to be filled. Fresh blood could be a positive in a unit that has been the Achilles heel of the defense in the past.
Last season, youth took over the offense with sophomores and freshmen blocking for two freshmen quarterbacks that split time. Josh Dale announced his transfer out of the program in January, leaving Josh Jones as the primary passer for the Braves in 2019. Jones took over a majority of the snaps in the second half of the season, and there’s no doubt of his ability as a passer, but more talented targets are needed to help the offense flourish.
The top 11 receivers for the Braves in 2018 were underclassmen, but no one recorded more than 500 yards receiving, four touchdown grabs or 45 receptions. Granted some of those numbers will increase as the youth matures at the wide receiver and tight end position, but adding some North Carolina and the surrounding area’s talent at receiver to this year’s signing class will be a positive for Jones later in his career.
