As the North Carolina offense trotted back onto the field on Sept. 8 in Greenville, there was one thing different about the men that stood at attention at the line of scrimmage.
Instead of the number 11 that Tar Heel fans had grown accustomed to seeing behind center, it was a new player at quarterback — Cade Fortin.
With his team down 41-19 and just 5:33 left on the game clock, the true first-year faced no pressure, except for that provided by the East Carolina defense. In two series, number six showed flashes, highlighted by a 17-yard scramble. He also showed that while his talent is evident, he is not yet ready for the task of starting at quarterback.
Fortin’s original intent was to play for Kevin Sumlin at Texas A&M University. In fact, he announced his commitment while a junior at North Gwinnett High School in Georgia.
However, Sumlin was terminated by the school in November 2017, a decision that opened up the quarterback’s recruitment.
On Dec. 7, 2017 he committed to UNC. It was the bright spot in a year marred by a broken leg that required surgery in September and forced Fortin to miss the majority of his senior season.
The four-star recruit wasted no time in acclimating himself to the program, enrolling for the spring semester at the University. The move allowed him the opportunity to participate in spring practice, something that has been important in moving along his maturation process.
“Quarterback is such a mental position,” offensive guard Nick Polino said. “So freshmen, it’s hard to come in and play as a true freshman at quarterback. And I know he’s done a tremendous job of it. But it’s just the little things, and that comes with experience, like other positions.”
Fortin got some of that experience in the form of those 15 spring practices, before reporting back on Aug. 3 for preseason practice. He entered training camp fighting for third-string duties with fellow true first-year Jace Ruder and senior Manny Miles.
