UNC linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel is a real ‘problem solver’ for the Tar Heels’ defense
North Carolina sophomore linebacker Cedric Gray popped by Jeremiah Gemmel’s house thinking he was just going to unwind by playing video games. He’s ended up on more than one occasion with his playbook out, facing a pop quiz from the Tar Heels’ veteran defender.
Gemmel knows it all and wanted to make sure that Gray, who is learning both the “Mike” and “Will” linebacker positions, is prepared, too.
“Sometimes I like go to his house just to play video games and he’ll be like, ‘Yo , let’s go over the playbook,’” Gray said. “Like, ‘Let’s go with this play. What you got in this?’ Testing me, to see if I’m really in tune, to see my development.”
Gemmel has started the past 25 games at inside linebacker for Carolina, which is second only to outside linebacker Tomon Fox’s 33 starts. And in that time he’s has risen to a different level of leadership for the Heels.
UNC coach Mack Brown said when players name who they admire most on the team, Gemmel’s name is frequently mentioned.
“We’ve really challenged our guys to step up as leaders,” Brown said. “And I think the best leader on this team and one of the best I’ve ever had as the head coach is Jeremiah Gemmel.”
It’s not that Gemmel is a natural athlete who dominates with his physical presence. Gemmel led the Heels with 50 solo tackles last season and ranked 20th in the ACC in total tackles. His value to Carolina can’t be summed up in tackles alone.
He’s a walking fix-it man on the field. He’s gained the trust of his teammates because he knows what he’s talking about. UNC inside linebackers coach and co-defensive coordinator Tommy Thigpen said Gemmel’s presence in the huddle brings a “great comfort level,” to the defense.
“He’s probably one of the best communicators we got on the football field,” Thigpen said. “He sees the game as a coach sees it — very rarely can you get him twice on some type of schematic. He’s a problem solver on the football field.”
It hasn’t always been that way. Gemmel lamented not being more vocal when he played at East Coweta High School in Newnan, Ga. And his first two seasons at Carolina he said he, “didn’t have a clue,” on what the defensive coaches would call based on the down and distance.
The more he played, the more he started to think the game to the extent that he now can anticipate what co-defensive coordinator Jay Bateman is going to call.
“I feel like I’m so clued in on down and distance like what Bateman’s thinking in his head,” Gemmel said. “...For me it was just playing the games and then finding out Bateman’s tendencies and formation and down in distance.”
Gemmel’s so in sync with what Bateman wants to run that he’s taking fewer reps in practice these days. Brown and Bateman want to develop more depth so Gray and even freshmen Ra Ra Dilworth and Power Echols have rotated in. The coaches feel comfortable doing that because they believe in Gemmel’s grasp of the defense.
He’s got it down to the extent that he’s not hesitant to make suggestions on ways to improve it.
“He’s one of the best players on our team, he’s one of the best leaders, I think, in the ACC,” Brown said. “He’s the most underrated player in the ACC, not enough people talk about him.”
The right people know who he is. Brown said a week ago that 26 of the 32 NFL teams had sent scouts to the Heels practices and that Gemmel had created a buzz.
“So I do think he’ll be a guy that will be leaving next year too, because he’s too good a player,” Brown said. “He’s got great instincts. He just knows what to do.”
Projected UNC linebackers depth chart
| Outside linebacker | ||
| STARTERS | ||
| Tomon Fox (GR) | 6-3 | 260 |
| Tyrone Hopper (GR) | 6-4 | 245 |
| RESERVES | ||
| Kaimon Rucker (SO) | 6-1 | 260 |
| Desmond Evans (SO) | 6-5 | 265 |
| Chris Collins (JR) | 6-4 | 255 |
| Inside linebacker | ||
| STARTERS | ||
| Jeremiah Gemmel (JR) | 6-1 | 225 |
| Eugene Asante (JR) | 6-1 | 220 |
| RESERVES | ||
| Cedric Gray (SO) | 6-1 | 195 |
| Ra Ra Dilworth (FR) | 6-1 | 205 |
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This story was originally published August 26, 2021 at 5:25 AM with the headline "UNC linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel is a real ‘problem solver’ for the Tar Heels’ defense."