UNC football player Hughes uses speed to learn new trade

Mike Hughes might be a novice, but he doesn’t get beat.

In the third quarter of North Carolina’s 48-14 win over Illinois on Saturday — only Hughes’ third career game — the UNC defensive back watched Illini receiver Marchie Murdock sprint past his inside shoulder and scurry to the corner of the end zone.

Two hands on the ball, two feet in bounds. The damage was done.

“My technique kind of broke down at the line; that’s how he got open in the first place,” Hughes said. “But we’re always taught to never give up on the play.”

The first-year corner flashed his speed and chased down his prey, punching the ball out of Murdock’s hands to break up a sure score.

“That ball was caught in the end zone for a touchdown,” said defensive backs coach Charlton Warren. “And his last big effort knocked the ball free.”

Despite the technical breakdown, Warren knows no moment is too big for his young speedster. And as Hughes’ snaps increase, so too will his comfort in the secondary.

A first-team all-state quarterback in high school, Hughes entered UNC as a four-star athlete who had dabbled in punting and defensive play. But since joining the program in July, he has shown drastic improvement in his new role.

“He soaks it up like a sponge,” Warren said. “He’s learning more and more every day. I mean, you’re talking about a kid who’s never played corner, and he just played 42 snaps against a team that was lighting up the scoreboards the last couple weeks.”

Under Warren’s command, playing time is hardly a privilege. Redshirt senior linebacker Jeff Schoettmer remembers advising Hughes to master the playbook if he wanted to hit the field.

But from the first day of training camp — armed with basic knowledge of the defense — the converted cornerback was breaking up balls and making plays all over.

“From the moment he stepped on campus, he just competed his ass off in everything he did ...” Schoettmer said.

“That’s something that you don’t typically see from a true freshman. Just from a maturity standpoint, he’s years above what normal freshmen come in as.”

Hughes admits the defensive transition has been difficult and says he is still adjusting to the game’s tempo.

But he doesn’t feel like a first-year player. He doesn’t act like one either.

“He’s a natural at the corner position,” Coach Larry Fedora said. “He’ll make some mistakes, but he’s got the competitiveness about him that he reacts so quickly and can still make a play on the ball.”

While the rookie’s technique is still a step behind, Hughes’ coaches and teammates know his raw athleticism and maturity level are the makings of a special player.

“He’s probably got the best recovery speed on our team,” Schoettmer said. “That’s just something you can’t teach.”

@CJacksonCowartsports@dailytarheel.com