Demon June doesn’t sound like a freshman anymore.
A year ago, he was still trying to figure out where he fit at North Carolina, buried on the depth chart and headed into a season full of unknowns. Now, the sophomore running back arrives at fall camp with something he didn’t have then: certainty.
That shows up in the way he talks, the way he carries himself and the way he describes the offseason that followed his first real taste of college football.
"My confidence is through the roof," June said with a grin on Friday. "Being a freshman last year, it was new… coming from high school where the game isn't as fast, guys aren't as big.
Knowing the areas I needed to improve in going into the offseason helped me add fuel to the fire to come back this year with a tough guy mentality. I want to be that guy."
June became that kind of player quickly once he got his chance. After earning playing time in Week 2 against Charlotte, he couldn’t be taken off the field. He finished as UNC’s leading rusher with 464 yards on 84 carries and two touchdowns, and Bill Belichick said the biggest change now is obvious.
"Confidence, for sure," Belichick said when asked about the biggest difference from June last year to this year. "...
He was trying to find something that he could do [last season], and then he had an opportunity, took advantage of it, and that's given him a lot of confidence and given us a lot of confidence as well. He's just obviously way ahead of where he was last year, even though it's a new offense.
That confidence is a big thing."
June’s development has also been shaped by running backs coach Natrone Means, whose path looks strikingly familiar. Both are North Carolina natives.
Both stayed home and chose the Tar Heels. Both made an impact early in their careers.
Means rushed for 849 yards as a freshman 36 years ago.
June has made no secret of how much Means means to him, and he has bigger goals in mind if his own career keeps moving the way it has started. Means went on to become a two-time First-Team All-ACC selection, a second-round NFL draft pick and eventually scored a Super Bowl touchdown. June said he looks up to him constantly and even watches his highlights.
"Huge role model," June said of Means. "...
There's so much that I take from him every day in the meetings and when we're on the field. He's a phenomenal coach and it's a good feeling knowing that everything he says is coming from a good place."
He’s not just learning from Means, either. June said the presence of Benjamin Hall, Kaleb Jackson and Charleston French - all redshirt juniors - has helped him round out his game.
"Looking up to those guys every day and piggybacking off of them," June said. "Just picking little things off and areas to grow. We feed off each other."
On the field, June already showed the kind of runner he is. He runs with force and averaged more than four yards after contact per attempt as a freshman.
This offseason, he focused on becoming more complete, with pass protection a major point of emphasis. Bobby Petrino has made it clear that it’s a must if a running back wants to stay on the field in his offense.
June believes that work, combined with the lessons from last season, puts him in position for another productive year.
"Being a freshman that played and being able to see the game, get a feel for the speed… Now, [I'm] taking a deep breath, slowing down and getting a better visual and feel for the game," June said.
He also likes the direction of the offense under Petrino, who has repeatedly stressed the need to run the ball well. June said the approach fits his style.
"We're going to run at you," June said. "We're not gonna go side to side or be fancy with it. Just downhill, play tough."
That kind of setup should help him stay fresh, too. June pointed to the depth in the room - Hall, Jaylen McGill, French and Jackson - as something that can keep the workload manageable over the long haul.
"You don't want to wear a guy down or have him go rep after rep after rep with nobody behind him," he said. "With the guys that we have in the room, it's just a feeling of a deep breath."
Last year, June was still learning everything as it came. This year, he sounds like a player who knows exactly what’s ahead - and exactly what he wants to become.
In Other News...
UNCs New Big Man Is Finally In Chapel Hill With One Hurdle Left
Sayon Keita is finally in Chapel Hill, giving North Carolina its new big man on campus after the freshman arrived in the state following approval of his visa. He was met at the Raleigh/Durham airport by coaches Michael Malone and Chuck Martin, and has already started getting settled into life at the university as he prepares to join the Tar Heels.
There is still one box left to check before Keita can fully move forward, and it is the one UNC will keep watching closely. For now, the emphasis is on getting him acclimated and ready for the 2026-2027 season, but the final hurdle still hangs over what has otherwise been a welcome arrival for the program. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Hansbrough Admits The NBA Took Something Out Of Him
Tyler Hansbrough has never been far from North Carolina basketball, and in a recent podcast conversation he opened up about a part of his career that often gets skipped over in the retelling. The former Tar Heels star and 2009 national champion said the constant pressure to prove critics wrong during his NBA years wore on him, enough that it eventually took something out of the way he felt about the game.
Hansbrough spent seven seasons in the NBA before closing his career overseas in China, and he said the change of scenery helped him find that old enjoyment again, away from the noise and criticism that followed him in the league. He still keeps close tabs on UNC and remains a supporter of the program, which makes his reflections land with a familiar mix of honesty and loyalty for Tar Heels fans who remember how hard he played from the moment he arrived in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolinas QB Battle Is Turning Into A Real Preseason Concern
Training camp has not brought much clarity for North Carolina at quarterback, and that is becoming a real issue with the opener against TCU getting closer. Billy Edwards and Miles O'Neill have both had uneven stretches, while the staff around them is already stretched thinner than usual with general manager Michael Lombardi on paid administrative leave during an investigation and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick on medical leave. Bill Belichick said personnel have had to absorb more responsibilities during camp, which only adds to the pressure on a position battle that still feels unsettled.
The encouraging development, at least from the Tar Heels' perspective, has been the early work of true freshman Travis Burgess, who has made enough of an impression to draw positive internal attention. Even so, North Carolina still needs someone to separate from the pack and give the offense a clearer direction before Week 1, especially after a weekend scrimmage did little to settle the competition. For now, the most important answer in Chapel Hill remains the one that has not arrived yet. [Read more 🡒]