Here’s how UNC football replaces safety Myles Wolfolk after he was declared ineligible
North Carolina’s secondary is one of the areas it could withstand losing a starter. So with the news last week that defensive back Myles Wolfolk was ruled academically ineligible, there’s no panic in what happens now for the Tar Heels.
Junior Trey Morrison, who started at nickel back against Syracuse, will move over to Wolfolk’s vacated spot at strong safety. And first up taking Morrison’s place in nickel packages will be true freshman Ja’Qurious Conley.
“We’re lucky that we have great depth at that position,” UNC coach Mack Brown said on a video call with the media Tuesday. “... You’ve got Trey Morrison, Don Chapman, Cam Kelly and Gio Biggers. So you’ve got a lot of guys and still in good shape with two deep. So we feel like we’re still okay there.”
Morrison started nine games last season, but despite his experience, Brown said Carolina will miss Wolfolk. As a graduate student who had been in the program five years, he’d seen it all and was adept at relaying that to younger players. Wolfolk, who earned his degree in December, tied for third on the team with five tackles against the Orange on Sept. 12.
Wolfolk was deemed ineligible from his graduate courses on Thursday. Brown called him a spokesperson for the team who was always vocal during practice and had an active role on the leadership committee.
“He is very smart and he gives some great ideas,” Brown said. “And he helped line up the younger guys in the secondary. A lot of those younger guys haven’t played as much and he was definitely the coach on the field in the secondary. That’s something we’ll miss.”
Tar Heels to ‘start the season over’ against the Eagles
Conley, a 6-foot, 210-pound native of Jacksonville, N.C., will be the only first-year player starting on offense or defense for the Heels. Redshirt freshman wide receiver Khafre Brown started against the Orange in place of senior Beau Corrales.
Conley logged most of his plays on special teams in their 31-6 win over Syracuse in the season opener. He did enter the game defensively too, but this is where Brown said the cancellation of the Tar Heels’ Sept. 19 game against Charlotte hurts most. Younger players like Conley and sophomore Welton Spottsville, who will be his backup, need the experience of live game situations.
“Ja’Qurious is one of the best athletes on our team,” Brown said. “So a lot of those freshmen are getting more looks now that we’ve been practicing eight or nine weeks. We’ve been practicing a long time, so hopefully they’ll know what to do.”
The No. 11 Tar Heels (1-0) won’t play again until they travel to Boston College (1-0) on Oct. 3. Brown said having three weeks between games means that they will act like the Eagles are their season opener.
“What we told our players and coaches is let’s just start the season over,” Brown said. “Syracuse was a game. It’s done. So we’re two weeks out from the opener. So let’s just go back and restart. And that’s what we’re trying to get their mentality to be.”
UNC at Boston College
When: 3:30 p.m., Oct. 3
Where: Alumni Stadium, Chapel Hill
Watch: ABC or ESPN
This story was originally published September 23, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Here’s how UNC football replaces safety Myles Wolfolk after he was declared ineligible."