North Carolina’s training camp is still in its earliest stages, but a few themes are already coming into focus in Chapel Hill.
The biggest one is the direction of the offense. After last season’s messy finish, Bill Belichick made a major change by moving on from former offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens and bringing in Bobby Petrino. Petrino met with the media last week and made it clear what he wants this unit to lean on: a steady running game that can open everything else up.
That approach makes plenty of sense given the questions at quarterback and the fact that the offensive line has been rebuilt from scratch. If the Tar Heels can establish the run, it should take some pressure off the rest of the offense and give Petrino a better foundation to work from.
The quarterback race is another major storyline, and Belichick and Petrino have both addressed it in the early days of camp. Petrino spent more time walking through the competition, while Belichick kept his comments brief. Either way, the message from the staff is clear: they need to be certain the Week 1 starter can carry the job well beyond the opener.
That matters because a switch later in the season would almost certainly mean the quarterback situation had already gone sideways. For a team trying to settle itself after a chaotic year, that kind of uncertainty is exactly what the staff wants to avoid.
There has also been an early positive on the receiving front. Petrino said last week that Lehigh transfer receiver has already stood out in drills and caught the attention of both coaches and teammates.
Humphrey brings the kind of playmaking profile North Carolina has been missing. He averaged 18.6 yards per reception, and that speed and physical edge have shown up early in camp. Outside of Jordan Shipp, the Tar Heels have been looking for a receiver who can stretch the field and threaten defenses vertically, and Humphrey has given them at least an early answer.
In Other News...
North Carolina May Be Headed For A Coaching Reset Fast
North Carolinas football situation already has plenty of people talking, and college football analyst Josh Pate has only turned up the volume. Pate recently raised the possibility that the Tar Heels could move on from Bill Belichick before the end of the year, a dramatic notion for a program that is still trying to settle into its next chapter and figure out what kind of staff it wants leading it forward.
Pate also floated a familiar name as a possible answer if UNC does decide to reset. He pointed to Wisconsin coach Luke Fickell, leaning on the success Fickell once had at Cincinnati and the rougher stretch he has hit in Madison as reasons a change of scenery could make sense. Whether anything comes of that is another question entirely, but it is the kind of speculation that tells you just how quickly the conversation around the Tar Heels can change. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Gets Back A Proven Weapon For The Games That Swing Seasons
Rece Verhoff is back in the fold for North Carolina, and it matters in the way special teams always seem to matter most when seasons tighten up. The Tar Heels officially announced that their leading scorer and place-kicker has been granted a fifth season of college eligibility after a U.S. District Court ruling, giving the program a proven leg who has already earned Honorable Mention All-ACC recognition and set a school record with a 57-yard field goal.
The timing is still a little murky, though, because the ruling is expected to be appealed by the NCAA, and the broader eligibility fight is not settled beyond Chapel Hill. Congress is also considering the Protect College Sports Act, but there is no waiver in place for this class, which leaves Verhoffs status tied to a larger debate even as UNC plans as if one of its most reliable players is available again. [Read more 🡒]