Tag: North Carolina

New Orleans Saints spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson

The New Orleans Saints were spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson, giving them insight on a potential rival quarterback in Drake Maye:

The New Orleans Saints were spotted scouting UNC’s loss to Clemson on Saturday, possibly giving them insight on quarterback Drake Maye, a potential future rival. The Tar Heel Times’ R.J. Bynum noted the Saints as one of six NFL teams with scouts at the game, including the Atlanta Falcons — who were one of a few teams to send multiple representatives to the press box.

Atlanta is projected to pick inside the top-10 next April, putting them in range to trade up to the top of the draft for their chosen passer (just like the Carolina Panthers did in targeting Bryce Young this past cycle). There’s a non-zero chance that Maye could end up being a dirty bird.

If so, his performance on Saturday may have been illuminating. Maye had a bit of a meltdown in the game, completing just 16 of his 36 pass attempts for 209 yards, throwing both a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked four times but rushed for 67 yards, doing his best to give the offense a spark. He’s been pushing USC star Caleb Williams for the top spot in the 2024 draft class and a rough game like this will give NFL evaluators a lot to mull over.

What about the other NFL hopefuls on the field? Clemson’s first-round cornerback prospect Nate Wiggins intercepted Maye to seal the win late in the fourth quarter, forced a fumble on a touchdown-saving play earlier on, and finished second on the team with 7 tackles (6 solo).

Clemson linebackers Jeremiah Trotter Jr. and Barrett Carter each played well (Trotter had 11 combined tackles, a sack, 1.5 tackles for loss, and a pass deflection) and are both projected to be top-50 picks should they declare for the draft. But it remains to be seen which underclassmen will enter the draft, and it’s anyone’s guess who the Saints were eyeing on Saturday.

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Commanders put a claim in on Sam Howell’s former college teammate

The Commanders put a claim on Sam Howell’s former college running back.

You can never have too many running backs. That’s apparently the view of the Washington Commanders, who placed a claim on a former 2021 fourth-round pick this week.

According to Field Yates of ESPN, Washington was one of three teams to place a claim on former Jets running back Michael Carter. The Arizona Cardinals were awarded Carter due to having a higher priority in the waiver order.

If Carter’s name sounds familiar, it’s because he was a former teammate of Washington quarterback Sam Howell for two seasons at North Carolina. During his final year at UNC in 2020, Carter rushed for 1,245 yards, had 267 receiving yards and nine total touchdowns.

The 24-year-old running back has rushed for 1,079 yards and seven touchdowns in parts of three seasons.

Why was Washington interested? Carter is a speed back, and perhaps the Commanders viewed Carter as a potential replacement for Antonio Gibson as the third-down back in 2024. Gibson is a free agent at season’s end.

While the Commanders rank No. 28 in rushing, their running backs (Gibson and Brian Robinson Jr.) are making a big impact in the passing game.

ACC women’s basketball leaders as of Nov. 12

A couple of Irish names are on here.

College basketball season is back, and fans couldn’t be more excited. What that initially means is high statistics across the board. Even if you know these numbers won’t hold up, they still are thrilling to look at. Here are the players who posses those numbers:

ACC men’s basketball leaders as of Nov. 12

Quite a few names lead in free throws.

College basketball season is back, and fans couldn’t be more excited. What that initially means is high statistics across the board. Even if you know these numbers won’t hold up, they still are thrilling to look at. Here are the players who posses those numbers:

Saints were on hand for Bo Nix’s big performance in Oregon vs. USC

The Saints were one of 13 NFL teams with a scout in the building for Bo Nix’s big performance in Oregon vs. USC:

Take a bow, Bo Nix. The Oregon Ducks quarterback dismantled the USC Trojans defense on Saturday night with a passing line of 412 yards and 4 touchdowns — having completed 23 of his 31 pass attempts without turning the ball over. And the New Orleans Saints were one of 13 NFL teams with scouts in the press box at Autzen Stadium, per ESPN’s Jordan Reid.

Now that’s not to say Nix was the only 2024 draft prospect to show out. Junior running back Bucky Irving ran for 118 yards and scored a 19-yard touchdown run to extend Oregon’s fourth-quarter lead, also catching 5 passes for another 43 receiving yards. Oregon defensive end Brandon Dorlus, a senior who weighs in at 6-foot-3 and 290 pounds (fitting the Saints’ archetype), had his fifth sack of the year.

Their efforts frustrated USC quarterback Caleb Williams, who completed 19 of 34 pass attempts for 291 yards and a score. He also ran for a touchdown but fumbled once and was sacked three times. Williams is still going to be a top-two pick once he declares for the 2024 draft, but he isn’t looking like a surefire first overall selection with North Carolina’s Drake Maye playing at a high level. Either of them could end up in the NFC South with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers tightening their grip on a top-10 pick.

Maybe one of those prospects caught New Orleans’ eye. It would be a surprise to see them spend an early-round pick on a quarterback after investing so heavily in Derek Carr, but he hasn’t played well enough this season to rule out the possibility. They’ll go back after the season and study game tape of all the major prospects ahead of the 2024 draft; sending scouts to catch games in person is just one part of the process, and it isn’t much of a tell. We’ll see whether any of the Ducks or Trojans who competed on Saturday end up hearing their names called by the Saints next April.

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Old North State Club renovates its Tom Fazio course in North Carolina

Bent grass greens can suffer in summer, so this North Carolina club replaced theirs.

Old North State Club in New London, North Carolina, has finished an extensive renovation that focused on replacing the existing bent grass greens with Bermuda grass.

Hot summers can wreak havoc on bent grass in North Carolina, so the putting surfaces at the private Old North State Club were topped with TifEagle Bermuda to provide better conditions year round.

Located on Badin Lake between Charlotte and Greensboro, Old North State Club was designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1991. The layout ties for No. 102 on Golfweek’s Best ranking of the top 200 residential courses in the U.S.

All the bunkers also were rebuilt with Capillary Concrete in the $3-million renovation undertaken by owner McConnell Golf, the largest owner of private clubs in the area with 14 private courses, two semi-private layouts and one nine-hole course. Other efforts at Old North State Club included tree removal, cart path repairs and renovations to tees that added 160 yards to the course.

“This renovation not only enhances playing conditions but also the overall membership experience and draws people back for more fun on Badin Lake,” McConnell Golf founder and CEO John McConnell said in a media release announcing the news. “It’s exciting to have the course return to its former glory with Tom Fazio’s original plan in mind.”

Check out several photos of the completed work below.

Notre Dame offers four-star 2025 North Carolina recruit

Hope he picks the Irish.

As of this moment, Notre Dame does not have any commits for its 2025 class. While that seems like a long way off, that doesn’t mean [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] and his staff aren’t looking that far ahead.

To that end, Jackson Keith, a four-star small forward recruit and the third-ranked 2025 recruit from North Carolina according to 247Sports, has received an offer from the Irish. Keith himself announced the news on social media:

As one can see by this tweet, Shrewsberry had some assistance in recruiting Keith from associate head coach [autotag]Kyle Getter[/autotag]. Keith has gotten numerous offers from Division I programs over the past 15 months. Among them are Wake Forest, NC State, Virginia, Florida State, Virginia Tech, Xavier, Villanova, Georgetown, Illinois, Texas A&M and Tennessee.

Keith most definitely is going to be playing college basketball for a very prominent program. Hopefully, he eventually decides that the Irish are the way to go.

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Follow Geoffrey on Twitter: @gfclark89

North Carolina leads Bushnell/Golfweek Div. I coaches poll for Oct. 27

There has been only one team to top the Div. I coaches poll so far this season.

There has been only one team to top the Bushnell/Golfweek coaches poll for the 2023-24 season: the North Carolina Tar Heels.

With a win at The Williams Cup and a runner-up finish at the St. Andrews Links Collegiate, the Tar Heels maintained a hold of the top spot for the latest ranking, which was released Friday.

The Tar Heels received 13 first-place votes and 561 points in the process, 14 more than Vanderbilt (eight first-place votes and 547 points). 

Auburn (two first-place votes), Arizona State, and Georgia Tech rounded out the top five, while Tennessee, Washington, Mississippi, East Tennessee State, and Virginia completed the top 10.

Here’s a look at the entire Div. I top 25, as well as coaches polls for Div. II, D. III, NAIA and junior college.

Micah Shrewsberry, Kebba Njie, Matt Zona speak during ACC Tipoff

Hear from a team that figures to have many challenges this season.

Notre Dame is facing a challenging season with a new face and a mostly new roster. [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] fielded questions about that during the ACC Tipoff on Oct. 25 in Charlotte, North Carolina. Alongside him were [autotag]Kebba Njie[/autotag], a transfer who came over with Shrewsberry from Penn State, and [autotag]Matt Zona[/autotag], one of the few returnees on this year’s Irish.

Here is what they had to say:

Contentment Golf Club in North Carolina to feature course designed by Lester George

Lester George plans a golf course for Contentment Golf Club in North Carolina with a nod to famous template holes.

Golf course development company Landscapes Unlimited has joined with a third-generation property owner to break ground this week on the private Contentment Golf Club in Traphill, North Carolina.

Situated in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Contentment will feature a course layout by Lester George. A media release announcing the groundbreaking said the course will pay tribute to famous template holes established by C.B. Macdonald and Seth Raynor.

The club will span more than 800 acres and is located about an hour’s drive west of Winston-Salem and 90 minutes north of Charlotte.

Owner Curt Sidden spent time on the property with his late grandfather and plans to open the club Sept. 25, 2025, which will be the 100th anniversary of his grandparents’ wedding.

The planed routing for the new Contentment Golf Club in North Carolina (Courtesy of Contentment GC)

“Contentment is a tribute to my grandparents with whom I spent time here as a boy,” Sidden said in the media release.  “My family showed me the benefits of a quiet, uncomplaining and satisfied mind, and we hope Contentment is a true, tranquil haven for the body, mind and soul.”

Plans include cottages and lodging for members, but the property will otherwise be void of homes. There will be a comprehensive practice facility, outdoor gathering spaces, a lake, trails and reflection sanctuaries.

“The property on which Contentment sits is one of most relaxing, rejuvenating and overall special topographies in our company’s history,” Jack Morgan, senior vice rresident of Landscapes Unlimited’s project development group, said in the media release.