ACC Coaching Hotseat Rankings:

4* OT, turned down FSU, TN, LSU, USC

After considering more than 30 scholarship offers, four-star offensive tackle T.J. Leifheit opted to become a Tar Heel. The 6-foot-7, 300-pound prospect from Wilmington (N.C.) Hoggard talked with Inside Carolina about his decision ...

How does it feel to be committed?

“It feels great.”

Some recruits enjoy the pressure, while others say the process wears on them. What was it for you?

“It was a combination of both. It was a lot of fun, but also a lot of stress.”

Heading into the official visit, did you plan on verbally committing or think there was a possibility that you might commit?

“I had no idea I was going to do it this weekend.”

So what was it that pushed you to the point of committing?

“The trip. I had my whole family up there and all the coaches made us feel like we were at home. I just really enjoyed [the trip] a lot.”

You had an impressive list of scholarship offers – what about UNC stood out?

“It was just the outstanding relationship I had with Coach [Sam] Pittman and the possibility of coming in and having the chance to earn some playing time as a freshman. And Coach [Butch] Davis really made me feel at home there.”

How much did the offensive line depth impact your decision?

“It had a little bit to do with it, but regardless I know no matter where I go I’ll have to earn playing time.”

You’re going to enroll in January. Has Pittman or Davis talked about the game plan for you?

“They talked about me coming in and competing for the left tackle spot; that’s what they told me this weekend. And I have a really good shot to get on the field as a freshman – if it’s not at left tackle somewhere else just to get me on the field as soon as possible.”

It’s been rumored that you’ve been leaning towards UNC since as early as the spring. Is there any truth to any of those rumors?

“I’ve always told them that I liked them, but I never really said I was leaning there or was thinking about committing.”

I know you’ve never publicly named at leader, but was there any point in the process where you felt like UNC was your leader?

“This weekend. This weekend won me over.”

After the Tennessee visit, it seemed like you were leaning towards the Volunteers. How did that visit affect your recruitment?

“After the Tennessee visit, it was pretty much between North Carolina and Tennessee and at that point Tennessee had the edge. I guess you could say they were my leader at that point.”

How firm is this commitment? Are you going to visit any other schools, officially or unofficially?

“No I’m done. This is 100-percent solid.”

With your UNC official visit, who hosted you over the weekend?

“Jonathan Cooper [former Hoggard teammate and fellow offensive lineman].”

What did you and Cooper do?

“We just hung out. We talked about me and him possibly playing again together on the O-line. We just went around campus.”

You’ve been to UNC a bunch of times. Was there anything you were able to do or learn that you hadn’t on previous visits?

“Like you said, I’ve been up there so many times I was extremely familiar with the campus and the coaches. But the thing I got to do this time that I hadn’t had the real opportunity to do was get a chance to spend time with other players outside of ‘Coop’ and Casey [Barth].

“I hung out with offensive lineman, running backs, quarterbacks – pretty much everybody. We hung out - outside of football and during practice - Sunday. I got to talk to a lot of players after the game.”

How did the verbal commitment actually go down?

“I had decided that I was just going to commit early Sunday, probably mid-morning. I went into his office that afternoon. I was just listening to what he had to say and at the right moment, I let him know.”

What was his reaction?

“At first, they were a little shocked, because they didn’t think I was going to commit so soon. But afterwards they were excited – they were all yelling and hootin’ and hollerin’.”

 

TOB disagrees, blames his players

O'Brien has faith in defensive plan, Archer

N.C. State coach Tom O’Brien said Monday that he has “complete faith” in the Wolfpack’s defensive plan and defensive coordinator Mike Archer.

"He’s got the experience,” O’Brien said. “He’s been through situations like this before. The worst thing you can do is panic and the old, ‘Woe is me,’ and make wholesale changes. We have a plan. We’re confident in our plan. We have to recruit to the plan and get people to do things we want them to do.”

On Saturday, N.C. State’s defense was shredded by quarterback Thaddeus Lewis, who went 40-for-50 for 459 yards and five touchdowns in a 49-28 win by Duke at Carter-Finley Stadium. The previous week, the Wolfpack gave up 361 passing yards to Riley Skinner in a 30-24 loss at Wake Forest.

O’Brien complimented both Skinner and Lewis on Monday, raving about their experience and poise as seniors who have been starting since they were freshmen. He said Lewis particularly deserves a lot of credit after what O’Brien said was the best performance he has ever seen by a quarterback.

But O’Brien said N.C. State’s players also aren’t making stops they need to make. On at least a few third-down plays, N.C. State was in position to force a punt or field goal attempt but failed.

The Blue Devils converted 13 of 19 third downs, and O’Brien cited the defense’s failure on the very first third down of the game as an example. On third-and-7, Lewis dumped a short pass to Austin Kelly, who eluded the defense and broke free for a 15-yard gain.

"Kids have got to make plays,” O’Brien said. “It’s not the scheme and it’s not the coaches. Right now we’ve got to make plays. No more great example than the first two third downs in the game where we’re in perfect position to make plays and don’t get the guy on the ground.”

N.C. State (3-3, 0-2 ACC) will try to end a two-game losing skid when it visits Boston College (4-2, 2-2) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday. Boston College’s quarterback, David Shinskie, is a 25-year-old freshman who joined the Eagles after spending seven years playing professional baseball.

In the third season since O’Brien left Boston College for N.C. State, the Eagles remain a power running team with a strong offensive line and have a talented sophomore running back in Montel Harris. O’Brien said Shinskie probably will be eager to take his shots against the N.C. State secondary.

Wolfpack free safety Clem Johnson is counting on it.

"We can expect them to attack where we’ve been struggling at the last couple weeks, and that’s been the secondary,” Johnson said. “That’s what we’re going to focus on this week, getting better.”

N.C. State did make one personnel change in the secondary, reinstating freshman Rashard Smith as the starting boundary cornerback. Smith, who also started against Murray State and Gardner-Webb, missed two games because of injury before returning against Duke in a reserve role.

O’Brien said that leaves the secondary aligned the way he wants it, with Smith and junior DeAndre Morgan starting at cornerback while senior Johnson and Bobby Floyd play safety.

The Wolfpack lost one possible solution with Monday’s announcement that junior safety Javon Walker needs a third knee surgery and is giving up football. Walker made four productive starts in 2007 before suffering the injury that ended his career.

"He could have helped us a lot,” O’Brien said. “It’s tough for him, but he made the right choice.”

So if the current group can’t get the job done in the secondary, O’Brien said the Wolfpack’s problems will have to be addressed through recruiting and the young players in the program. N.C. State has three scholarship defensive backs – Jarvis Byrd, Dean Haynes and Donald Coleman – in line to redshirt as freshmen this fall.

"We’ve got some guys redshirted,” O’Brien said. “I’d rather not take them up this year. There’s eight freshmen, whether redshirt or true freshmen, in the secondary on this roster right now. So I think the future is bright. But the future is in Boston on Saturday.”

 

Clemsons issues

http://theavenueofchampions.blogspot.com/

 

I'd say Groh, Fridge then a toss up between TOB/Butch.

 

Groh: 1-7 vs. Va. Tech

 

O'Brien is nowhere close to being on the 'hot seat'.

 

Damn that's a horse

 

same with Davis. UNC's goal is to name the field after him after he retires

 

same HS with Cooper, that was 600lbs on 1 side of the line 2 years ago. No wonder they won the State championship

 

3 Kinds of Hotseats:
Bowden: Retirement Hotseat!

Groh, & Friedgen: Possibility of Firing Hotseat!

Davis, O'Brien, & Swinney: Poor Performance Hotseat with little chance of being fired anytime soon. Fans not happy!