Scouring the interwebs to bring you news of UNC football...
- Salisbury High's Romar Morris, one of the state's top prospects, has committed to Carolina. Morris is ranked the 10th best all-purpose back in the nation by Rivals.com. UNC now has commits from 9 of the state's top 30 prospects, according to Rivals. Morris is also one of the fastest prospects in the state, as he won state championships in both the 100- and 200-meters last spring and holds the NCHSAA 2-A record in both events.
- A tip o' the hat to commenter DSchwind, who noted this in the comments section before I could get it posted here, but ESPN's Chris Low reports Tennessee is looking to get out of the upcoming series with Carolina, scheduled for 2011 and 2012. The Vols were to visit Chapel Hill in 2011 and have the trip returned in 2012. Tennessee athletic director Mike Hamilton said that with a depleted number of players on scholarship this year and a challenging schedule next year that also included Cincinnati, the Vols "wanted to lighten up the load a bit". UT wanted UNC to move the series back until later in the decade, but Carolina was unwilling and now Tennessee and UNC are negotiating a buyout of the series. According to Hamilton, UT will likely add an 8th home game for 2011. With a 100,000+ seat stadium that fills up practically every game, UT will certainly make their buyout money back.
- Just as a side note, SCAR fans have blistered UNC on the message boards for backing out of this year's scheduled game with Little Carolina. UNC asked for, and was granted, a release from the scheduled game with the Gamecocks after the Heels were selected to play in the Chick-Fil-A season-opening game against LSU. With a legislatively-mandated game against ECU, a game with Rutgers that is part of the expansion settlement between the Big East and the ACC, and the CFA game vs. LSU, plus four preseason top-25 teams on the conference schedule, it made sense for UNC to try to find relief in one game out of 12. But SCAR fans enjoy suggesting UNC is afraid of them. Now, the tables have turned and an SEC team is backing out of a game against a scary ACC opponent. (For the record, I know UT is not scared of UNC. It just makes sense to drop the 2011 road game)
- Speaking of the Chick-Fil-A Kickoff Game in the ATL, ESPN's College GameDay will be on hand at the Georgia Dome for the UNC-LSU game. I can't wait to see Lee Corso put on the UNC Rameses head. Then again, maybe not. I would actually like the Heels to win and Corso is not exactly guaranteed money.
And finally,
- Kentwan Balmer's bizarre preseason has taken another turn as the former 1st round pick has been traded within the division from the San Francisco 49ers to the Seattle Seahawks for a ham sandwich and a dozen Krispy Kreme Cheerwine doughnuts. Balmer had been noticeably absent from the Niners' camp last week, first with permission, then without permission, from Coach Mike Singletary. But by all accounts Balmer is fired up and ready to report to the Seahawks this week, where he will join former Tar Heel teammate E. J. Wilson on the Seattle D-line.
- Balmer, of course, was brought up in the NCAA investigation last week as the person who paid for the trip to Gary Wichard's workout facility in California. The N&O's Caulton Tudor makes a weak attempt to connect dots between Balmer's trade and the NCAA's probe, saying "the player's holdout to date has only added to the mystery surrounding the NCAA investigation." What a reach.
- More likely, Balmer's absence has to do with the fact that he has frankly been a disappointment in Frisco and has not flourished in Singletary's 3-4 defense. Besides, Singletary is not known for being the most stable individual in the NFL, either. As the Seattle Times piece notes, in Seattle he will get a chance to move back to tackle in a 4-3 and have a clean slate with lowered expectations.