Chazz Surratt – Noteworthy
Chazz Surratt said he considered transferring from North Carolina after last season, but he wanted to stick it out with his teammates. He talked it over with his family and decided to stay and change positions from quarterback to linebacker, a position he played some in high school at East Lincoln in Denver, N.C. “I just thought it was best for me going forward,” Surratt said Sunday at UNC’s first spring practice under Mack Brown. Surratt started in seven games at quarterback for UNC during his redshirt freshman season in 2017. He passed for 1,342 yards, eight touchdowns and three interceptions, and also ran for five touchdowns. Surratt was expected to be the starter heading into the 2018 season, but he and 12 others were suspended for selling their team-issued sneakers.
In his first and only game back against Miami, he ran effectively, rushing for 69 yards and a touchdown. But he threw three interceptions. On one of the interceptions, Surratt dove to tackle a defender and injured his wrist. He opted to have surgery to repair it and missed the rest of the regular season. On Sunday, he was back on the field wearing a cast on his right hand, but he participated in special teams and linebacker drills. Surratt, who is 6-3 and was previously listed at 215 pounds, said he’s put on 15 pounds of muscle since last season. “I’m learning everything backwards than I learned it from playing quarterback,” Surratt said. “Reading defenses and stuff, I think that will help. Stuff with the gaps and the fits at linebacker is different, but I’m learning and just trying to do the best I can.” – Raleigh News Observer