The Tar Heels are on everyone's short list of teams that are poised to make that big leap ahead during the 2008 college football season. Every preview magazine, television show and newspaper is touting TJ Yates, Brandon Tate, Greg Little and Hakeem Nicks as the player on the cusp of breaking out on the national scale.
On the regional scale players like Marvin Austin, Deunta Williams, Trimane Goddard and Tydreke Powell are getting press on the defensive side of the ball.
Heck, even incoming freshmen Jamal Womble, Kevin Reddick, Zach Brown and Quinton Coples have gotten ink as possible additions contributing to Tar Heel success this upcoming season.
Here are five Heels; mentioned only in passing if at all during the hyping of the Carolina 2008 season, that are incredibly essential to the Tar Heels' successes.
Cam Thomas, Vince Jacobs, Jordan Hemby, EJ Wilson and Ryan Taylor
They're all on the defensive side of the ball and each of these guys has got something to prove heading into 2008.
Cam Thomas (6'3", 330 pounds)
Thomas is a soft-spoken mountain of a man playing his fourth season of college football and has serious designs on truly being the middle of Carolina's defense. While Austin, Mullins and Powell are known for their ability to chase down quarterbacks, Thomas is the truest run stopper of the group.
The redshirt junior isn't a sack man, although he did manage one sack in limited action in 2007, he is the plug within the Tar Heels' interior line. He is capable of occupying two linemen; freeing Quan Sturdivant, Bruce Carter, Chase Rice and Ryan Paschal to flow freely to the football.
Thomas' massive size isn't his largest asset, that title belongs to his unselfish attitude and willingness to sacrifice personal stat sheet successes in exchange for team success on the field. His efforts will go largely unnoticed by most casual fans but, without Cam the Tar Heel linebacking core will struggle mightily to fight off blockers and make tackles near the line of scrimmage.
As a player Thomas has been steadfastly determined to succeed in getting better on a daily basis. During his redshirt season on scout team Thomas was an 18-year-old kid working to lead through hard work, possessing a fun loving but no nonsense approach to the game and an insatiable appetite for improvement.
That situation has created a kid who is a leader from the rear. Pushing himself to be great all the while working to raise the level of play of those around him. Look for #93 this season whenever Tar Heel tacklers are gobbling up ball carriers at the line, he won't be hard to spot.
Vince Jacobs (6'6", 235 pounds)
Jacobs strolled into Chapel Hill as a nationally ranked tight end phenom and one of the overall best prospects in the state. His highly touted status got him in the door but his tweener body style left him out of the musical chair dance that had become the Tar Heel tight end position.
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