North Carolina’s best path to a rebound may not come from the flashiest name in the building. It may come from the ground game.
As fall camp moves into its second week, Bill Belichick is still trying to sort through plenty of unresolved questions in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels have issues to settle on defense and at quarterback before Week 0 against TCU, and there’s no shortage of pressure after a season that already spiraled into controversy and drama on and off the field.
But one part of the roster has a chance to steady things: the rushing attack, with offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino pushing to make it the backbone of the offense.
Petrino wants North Carolina to build around a consistent run game, and that approach fits the personnel on hand. A dependable rushing attack can keep an offense on schedule and take some of the strain off everything else, especially if the passing game is still coming together. The Tar Heels need that kind of structure after finishing 126th in scoring, and Petrino’s offense has a track record of producing.
The backfield gives him something real to work with. Demon June and Benjamin Hall are the top two running backs on the roster, and both bring a physical style. Kaleb Jackson, who arrived from LSU, is also expected to see action.
There’s also a chance for North Carolina to lean into heavier looks, with 12 and 13 personnel potentially becoming a regular part of the offense. That would give the tight end room a bigger role as both blockers and pass-catchers, and it could add another layer to what Petrino is trying to build.
The line up front is another reason optimism around the run game makes sense. North Carolina has what can be described as “healthy” humans in the trenches, and that size should help create movement at the line of scrimmage and open running lanes for June, Hall, and Jackson.
A stronger rushing attack would also make life easier for whoever wins the quarterback job. Billy Edwards, a transfer from Wisconsin, fits the profile of a game manager.
Miles O’Neill, who came from Texas A&M, brings upside. So does true freshman four-star Travis Burgess.
If Burgess ends up taking over, that would add another wrinkle to the run game and help the offensive line as well.
For a program still searching for stability, that’s the clearest source of hope. If North Carolina is going to give Belichick a real shot at reaching his first bowl game as a college head coach, the most realistic path may be a physical, productive rushing offense built under Petrino’s direction.
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UNC Defense Faces New Concern Right Before The Season Opener
With the season opener closing in, North Carolina has added an unexpected layer of uncertainty on defense. Bill Belichick said his son, Steve Belichick, the Tar Heels defensive coordinator, is currently on medical leave and away from training camp, leaving a key part of the staff unavailable at a sensitive time in the preseason.
The program did not offer any details about the medical situation, only that it hopes to have him back as soon as possible. In the meantime, the defense will be handled collectively by the coaching staff, a temporary arrangement that puts even more attention on how UNC sorts through the final stretch before the opener. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina Suddenly Faces A Defensive Camp Concern Bill Belichick Can't Ignore
North Carolinas defensive plans hit an unexpected snag in the second week of training camp when coordinator Stephen Belichick went on medical leave, creating another complication for a staff that already has plenty to sort through after a disappointing previous season and recent changes around the program. Head coach Bill Belichick confirmed the situation in a press conference and said the defensive coaches will handle the workload together while Stephen is away.
The timing adds to the unease because the Tar Heels are trying to steady themselves before a season opener in Dublin, and the defense was already going to be under a microscope. Bill Belichick did not offer a timeline for Stephen Belichicks return, leaving the staff to navigate camp without one of its key voices and without any clear answer on whether he will be back for the opener against TCU. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Quarterback Battle Could Decide How Fast Belichicks Offense Clicks
North Carolinas quarterback competition has become one of the defining early stories of Bill Belichicks first Tar Heels team, and it makes sense why. With Bobby Petrino helping guide the offense, the staff is trying to sort through a group that offers very different traits: Billy Edwards Jr. brings experience, Miles ONeill has the biggest arm in the room, Au'Tori Newkirk is the only returning player, and freshman Travis Burgess adds another layer of upside to the mix.
The process matters because the starter will shape how quickly the offense can settle in once Week 1 arrives. Belichick and Petrino have both stressed a careful evaluation, which suggests they are not treating this as a quick decision or a simple depth-chart exercise. For a team trying to get a new system moving smoothly, the question at quarterback is more than a roster detail, it is the hinge point for how fast everything else can click. [Read more 🡒]