Freshman Tate turning heads

If North Carolina runs back a punt for a touchdown this year, Lesley Tate will deserve much of the credit.

After her son, Brandon Tate, broke his collarbone playing football during his sophomore year of high school, he planned to quit football and focus on basketball.

But with some substantial prodding from his mother, the wide receiver returned to the gridiron the following season. Two years later, he finds himself entrenched as UNC's starting punt returner, leading the ACC in punt-return yards as a true freshman.

"He loves to play, and he's really competitive," said North Carolina coach John Bunting. "He gets into full stride - it's a long stride. He has all his cleats in the ground - he doesn't play up on his toes, doesn't play on his heels.

"He's like a cat out there. He's a churner."

But entering the season Brandon Tate assumed he would red shirt, a plan that changed after UNC's first preseason scrimmage, when the coaching staff decided to try him at returner -and he didn't waste much time validating himself.

He returned his first punt to the end zone, raising Bunting's eyebrows and helping to earn him serious consideration to fill that role. In fact, when the team released its first special teams depth chart prior to the season-opener against Georgia Tech, Tate discovered that he was the starting punt returner.

"It did seem unreal," Tate said. "As soon as I got that, I called my mamma and told her. She was happy, too."

While Bunting had bragged about Tate's potential since training camp, the freshman truly broke out in Saturday's win at N.C. State.

On one kickoff return, he avoided a defender charging from the outside, losing a shoe during the subsequent cut-back.

He still gained 38 yards.

Later in the game, Tate received a punt, then ran forward before quickly cutting toward the right sideline, eventually scampering for 40 yards.

"He has good vision," said wide receiver and kick returner Mike Mason. "He has good speed. He doesn't make that many moves, but he makes the moves that need to be made and he hits the hole."

Those skills give the Tar Heels a potential game-changing threat on special teams for this season and beyond. But that hasn't stopped Tate and the coaching staff from attempting to remedy his weaknesses.

The coaches have forced Tate to carry two balls while running in practice - making him carry the footballs closer to his body in order to avoid potential fumbles.

"Some people might have said, 'What are you doing with that guy out there? He's a freshman,'" Bunting said. "I think it was a good decision. I think he's going to get better and better."

 

Contact the Sports Editor at sports@unc.edu.