CHAPEL HILL — Last season, Jonathan Linton stepped in for Leon Johnson, rushed for a thousand yards and turned a question mark into an exclamation point. This year, the Tar Heel running attack is once again an unknown.

Three young backs, Dominique Williams, Ravon Anderson and Rufus Brown, will battle for the starting role.

"That's why I came to Carolina," Anderson says. "Any school should be competitive in the backfield. Rufus Brown and Dominique Williams are good guys and good athletes. We're looking forward to the fall."

?Of the three, Williams plays last season although sparingly. Meanwhile at Saturday's spring game, Ravon Anderson stole the show with two touchdown runs. Brown was injured and did not play. So, heading to the fall, has anyone separated themselves from the pack?

Coach Carl Torbush says he's not quite sure about that. That's because all three rank a little differently. Torbush plans to use all three linebackers in different situations.

Each will be given every opportunity to turn another question mark into a positive.