Yahoo Finance How UNC football’s Eugene Asante earned Chazz Surratt’s starting linebacker role
North Carolina’s first football scrimmage of spring practice found a very different Eugene Asante chasing down ball carriers at Kenan Stadium on Saturday.
The junior linebacker from Chantilly, Va., spent the better part of the past two seasons as Chazz Surratt’s backup, playing mostly on special teams. And as a reserve, he didn’t feel he had the authority to be very vocal.
Asante earned his chance to start in the Orange Bowl when Surratt opted out to begin his NFL draft preparation. And based on his performance, Asante has made the position his. As his responsibilities have increased as a starter, so too has his presence this spring.
“From a mindset standpoint, I think I certainly changed a little bit,” Asante said. “I had to be more vocal with the young guys and I had to step into a role. Chazz played a great role in tutoring and mentoring me.”
So did his older brother, Larry Asante, who worked his way from playing a year in junior college; to a starring role at Nebraska after switching positions from linebacker to safety; to intercepting Drew Brees in the highlight moment from playing five seasons in the NFL.
Eugene Asante has referenced the way his brother was abruptly cut from the Oakland Raiders in 2015 as a reason why he plays with such a high motor. Because in the real world, “your dreams can get cut at any time.”
Building confidence
Asante gained a lot of confidence — both in himself and from his teammates — during their Orange Bowl loss to Texas A&M. He led the team with a career-high 10 tackles, including seven solos, in just his second career start. He made the plays Surratt usually made from playing on the interior of their scheme.
Surratt started 22 of 25 games the past two seasons, and inside linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel started all 25. Neither player took many snaps off, which is why Surratt’s absence was a big void. Gemmel said Asante earned the trust of his teammates long before the game against the Aggies.
“Eugene started on all four special teams for us and was a war daddy on special teams,” Gemmel said. “He showed up every single week on special teams. The team was comfortable, they were confident, they knew he was gonna play his role and be on the spot.”
Big shoes to fill
Surratt is the Tar Heels’ only full-time starter on defense from last season that did not return. There’s no denying the impact he’s had the past two seasons, leading the Heels in tackles as a junior and senior after converting from quarterback his first two seasons.
His skills as a pass rusher — he had a combined 12.5 sacks the past two seasons — will especially be missed. But UNC coach Mack Brown has been so comfortable with Asante’s play that he’s treating him like a veteran.
During spring drills, Brown has mandated reserve linebackers like Khadry Jackson and Cedric Gray and early enrollees Power Echols and Rara Dilworth get more reps because Asante and Gemmel don’t need as many snaps.
“Eugene stepped up behind Chazz Surratt and he’s playing really well,” Brown said. “So we’ve got to start forcing ourselves to play more people and make sure that they get more snaps.”
No time to be complacent
Asante isn’t assuming he’ll just fit right in because he’s become a starter. He said he’s still trying to gain a better understanding of not just his responsibilities, but the entire defense.
“The day I become complacent is the day that is my downfall,” Asante said. “Although I feel like I know everything or a good amount of everything we’re doing right now, I understand that I can still improve on things.”
The Heels are watching that play out in real time. The 6-foot, 220-pounder is no longer just relying on his speed and quickness to get to the ball. He has a better knowledge of the scheme, which is putting him in position to make plays through intuition.
“He’s really maturing as a linebacker, he’s getting a better understanding of the calls,” sophomore linebacker Kaimon Rucker said. “He’s getting to us quicker. He knows how to facilitate the defense. He needs to be that field general that we need alongside Jeremiah Gemmel and I think he’s doing a tremendous job.”
