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#UNC coach Bill Belichick training camp press conference Aug. 14 at Kenan Football Center
Aug 14, 2026
#UNC coach Bill Belichick training camp press conference Aug. 14 at Kenan Football Center
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0:02
Uh yeah, so you know, following up on
0:03
our uh conversation from last week, um
0:06
you know, we just been stacking days
0:07
together here, you know, just grinding
0:09
along and um you know, it's getting
0:11
better day by day. There's just no
0:12
shortcut to it. You just have to keep
0:14
stacking bricks and um you know,
0:16
building that strong foundation. We're
0:17
definitely getting there from a
0:19
conditioning standpoint, from a you
0:20
know, overall uh fundamental and
0:22
technique standpoint, and then, you
0:24
know, the plays and so forth. you know,
0:26
kind of working uh some groups together
0:28
as uh you know, teams start to separate
0:30
a little bit. You know, some guys are
0:31
are getting more reps than others as um
0:34
you know, it's that time of year where
0:35
things you know, team has to start to
0:37
form uh to the you know, the guys that
0:39
will get the most playing time and and
0:41
um as we start the regular season, of
0:43
course, that could always change as
0:44
things go, but that's kind of where we
0:46
are now. Um you know, we've had uh you
0:48
know, just a lot of good opportunities
0:50
to practice. We have the um ACC
0:52
officials in here um and you know Daryl
0:55
and his crew are here and we saw them
0:57
yesterday um and met with them and so
1:00
that was obviously uh as it always is
1:02
very helpful and um you know just
1:06
tightening up a few things uh for us um
1:08
you know in terms of like formations and
1:10
alignments and um you know what's
1:13
holding what isn't holding what's
1:14
interference what is an interference um
1:17
what's illegal formation what is an
1:18
illegal formation a lot of times that's
1:20
a f fine line and so actually working
1:22
with the officials who work this
1:24
conference and you know do our games um
1:27
uh was a good experience. They're here
1:28
again today. Um so um you know again we
1:32
just continue to add things each day
1:34
that get us closer to uh you know
1:36
getting ready to start the season and um
1:39
you know we're two weeks from today
1:41
we'll be across the ocean. So um you
1:45
know we're getting getting closer but
1:46
still have some time. Uh we're
1:48
definitely not ready to do that yet, but
1:51
um I think we're on pace to you know to
1:53
be there. Um still got a lot of work to
1:55
do, but that's you know this about where
1:58
we expected to be. So um you know
2:01
today's kind of a big review day for us
2:03
and then this weekend we'll um you know
2:06
have a couple more competitive sessions
2:08
um before we you know start classes on
2:10
Monday and get into a regular season
2:13
type of academic uh and athletic
2:16
practice schedule. So, um we're this
2:19
weekend very much transitioning from
2:21
training camp to uh what we'll do during
2:24
the regular season as far as um again
2:26
our class schedules, study hall,
2:28
practice times, uh lifting routines,
2:31
things like that. So, um camp is is um
2:35
winding down. Football's not, but camp
2:37
is.
2:39
>> We'll get start.
2:41
What stands out about Sil as a
2:44
linebacker? And then what's he like on
2:45
the field?
2:47
Um,
2:48
you know, Peyton's like kind of a little
2:50
bit of a throwback guy. Um, you know,
2:53
doesn't say too much, but he's all
2:54
business. Um, really tough, competitive
2:57
kid, high effort player. Um, he's
2:59
always, you know, going um as hard as he
3:02
can and and um it's been impressive to
3:04
watch. You know, he's a very instinctive
3:06
player, finds the ball and um, you know,
3:09
has has shown the ability to play on all
3:10
four downs, you know, in the kick game
3:12
as well. He runs well. Um, he's tough.
3:15
He's a good tackler and um has good
3:17
really good football instincts. So glad
3:19
glad we have him. Um you know getting
3:22
him and Derek um you know really given a
3:24
lot it's given us a lot of depth at the
3:26
linebacker position. So um that's been
3:29
good
3:30
>> third row right
3:32
um how have you uh shuffled the
3:35
responsibilities with Steve Al and
3:39
shuffle for office responsibilities and
3:43
responsibilities? Yeah, same way we
3:45
talked about it last week. Nothing's
3:46
changed. Um, just going to share share
3:49
some things and um, you know, hopefully
3:53
this will be resolved soon.
3:54
>> Does that mean more responsibility?
3:57
Do you take a lot more responsibility?
3:59
>> Yeah, we've all Yeah, we we've all
4:01
shared things, but I'd say, you know,
4:03
it's it hasn't really been an issue. You
4:05
know, um, guys have, you know, people
4:07
have picked up in areas. Um, and, you
4:10
know, we've done the things that we had
4:11
to do at this time of year. Things will
4:12
change.
4:13
um as they always do on the on the
4:16
calendar um as recruiting changes, as
4:18
the regular season comes into play um
4:21
and so forth. But for you know this
4:23
period it's been the same until it
4:26
changes which will be you know in late
4:28
August early September.
4:29
>> Front row on the way.
4:31
>> Uh Bill, good morning. Uh I know the
4:33
game's still a couple weeks away but
4:36
logistically what does that trip look
4:38
like for you guys? Like when are you
4:40
leaving? How do you plan to sort of
4:42
adjust with the guys uh sleeps sleep
4:44
pattern acquisition to time difference
4:46
things like that?
4:47
>> Yeah, so all that's um all those
4:50
arrangements have been handled by the
4:51
people in our operations staff. They've
4:53
done a great job of that. um they've
4:55
been involved in uh other international
4:58
trips um including to um well London not
5:02
Ireland but similar um so all the things
5:05
that need to take place um which are a
5:08
multitude um you know those those people
5:11
have a lot of experience with and and um
5:13
you know we've gotten good cooperation
5:14
from the uh from the other side as well.
5:17
So, um it's I don't want to say those
5:20
trips are standard. They're not. They're
5:22
very different, but the planning
5:23
preparation that goes into is to keep
5:25
things as normal as possible uh for the
5:27
team. Um the flights, the flight someone
5:29
to go to the west coast just head the
5:31
other direction. Um and you know, there
5:34
are some other things that uh are unique
5:37
to this game and so they're just
5:39
budgeted in the schedule. Both teams are
5:41
working with the same you know, same
5:43
format. So, um, plenty of other teams
5:46
have gone over there and, you know,
5:48
certainly it's worked out well. It's a
5:50
great opportunity for all of us, great
5:53
opportunity for the game. Uh, but the
5:54
guys that are doing the work behind the
5:56
scenes have worked hard going all the
5:57
way back to, uh, the trips that they
5:59
took over there back in March.
6:04
>> Hey, Bill, you mentioned last week
6:05
obviously that, you know, the next 10
6:07
days from there would be a competition
6:09
period. specifically looking at the
6:11
quarterback group. How has that
6:12
competition era is there a leader in the
6:14
clubhouse?
6:16
>> No, I don't think there's a leader in
6:17
the clubhouse, but it's um it's been
6:19
very competitive. Um you know, they've
6:21
all had, you know, a lot of really good
6:23
moments and you know, a couple that they
6:25
probably like to have back like all of
6:26
us do. Um so, you know, as we wind down
6:29
and kind of the last half of that, u as
6:31
you mentioned, that's you know, kind of
6:32
where we are. But um certainly you know
6:35
on the overall on the team you know we
6:37
have guys that are you know have made
6:39
their move um and are getting more
6:40
playing time and there's other guys that
6:42
you know have to do more to earn that.
6:44
So uh but the quarterback position is
6:45
very competitive.
6:47
>> So are so are some other positions I
6:49
might add too. It's not the only one.
6:51
>> How's your timeline on you know
6:54
either internally or externally?
6:56
>> Yeah.
6:57
>> Um
6:59
yeah I mean there's no you know there's
7:00
no deadline. Um there there are other
7:03
options on you know on on having a
7:06
starting quarterback. So we'll evaluate
7:08
those and try to figure out do the best
7:10
thing for the team.
7:13
>> Bill with Jamie Patterson in one
7:16
quarter. What is the other spot looking
7:18
like and specifically trading over
7:21
a couple times guys? How has he
7:24
>> been
7:25
our pass? They've been
7:27
>> sneaking over watching our practices up
7:29
in a lot of those.
7:33
>> So, how has he progressed since last?
7:35
What are some areas?
7:37
>> Trey bigger. He's bigger. Yeah, he's
7:42
he's put on a lot of good solid weight.
7:43
Um he's he's a very competitive, fast,
7:46
tough kid. Um but he's just bigger and
7:48
that's helped him with his tackling, his
7:50
run force, jamming receivers, you know,
7:51
all those things. Been very dedicated.
7:54
Um been very dedicated. uh not just in
7:57
this camp, but going back to the
7:58
offseason program, you know, working
8:00
with uh with Moses in the weight room
8:02
and Amber on nutrition and things like
8:04
that. Um he's a much stronger phys more
8:07
physical player um with similar if not
8:10
better speed than what he had last year.
8:12
He's fast and explosive.
8:17
>> He struggled a little bit last year. How
8:20
much did he immerse himself and where
8:22
are some of the benefits he got from?
8:25
Yeah, again all the above. He's improved
8:26
physically. He's improved mentally in
8:28
terms of understanding of the defense
8:30
and and also in terms of anticipating,
8:32
you know, what'll happen offensively. Uh
8:34
I think, you know, we have a better feel
8:36
for what what his strengths are and and
8:38
we really certainly try to play into
8:40
those with him and and um you know, he's
8:42
done a good job. He's come through for
8:43
us uh on the practice field and uh
8:46
consistently. So um you know, he's done
8:48
a nice job. Um worked really hard.
8:51
>> We've got about six minutes left. know
8:53
the next.
8:54
>> Yeah. Bill, when you were watching Chad
8:55
McCroy, when he was in the portal
8:57
watching Felon, what were some of the
8:58
things that popped right away and to see
9:01
him continue to develop in preseason
9:03
camp? What are some of the things that
9:04
he needs to continue to work on to
9:05
eventually are starting a long offensive
9:07
line,
9:08
>> right? Well, um, you know, Shaq size is,
9:10
you know, immediately kind of jumps out
9:12
at you. I mean, there's not a ton of
9:13
film on him. Um, you know, didn't play
9:16
much at Oregon. Um, there hardly any
9:18
film there. And then uh last year at
9:20
Arkansas um u was just a couple games um
9:24
and those were real early in the year.
9:26
So you know a lot of Shaq is u
9:28
developmental you know um both
9:30
physically from a technique and playing
9:32
and confidence standpoint um which those
9:34
certainly have come along and improved
9:36
through the course of the spring and and
9:37
here again in training camp. So I think
9:39
he's a lot better player than he was
9:41
when he got here. Um he's still working
9:43
on you know the normal things that
9:44
offensive lineman needs. pad level,
9:47
leverage, pass protection, so forth,
9:49
picking up games with his teammates, uh,
9:52
you know, particularly the guards and
9:53
center, you know, when they run, you
9:54
know, two and threeman games over there
9:56
on that side, bliss pick up, things like
9:57
that. So, um, that's all coming
9:59
together, but it's um, you know, he's he
10:02
been out there every day. Um, he's got a
10:04
good good uh, work ethic, good attitude.
10:06
He's always got a smile on his face. Um,
10:09
and, you know, it's just ready to, you
10:10
know, strap it up and go to work. And
10:12
that work has, you know, paid off in in
10:14
improvement. third row on the right.
10:16
Brian,
10:17
>> hey Brian, two quick ones. Do you plan
10:20
to call plays on defenses if the season
10:22
started today?
10:23
>> Well, the season doesn't start today, so
10:24
get a bunch of hype questions, you know.
10:27
>> And then secondly, when you're
10:28
evaluating quarterbacks, talked to over
10:31
the day eliminating bad plays is more
10:34
important than creating when you're when
10:37
you're evaluating, how much of of it has
10:39
eliminating mistakes versus evaluating
10:41
maybe make more positive?
10:44
Yeah, I mean I agree with that. I mean,
10:45
I've always said that. I've said that
10:47
about Tom Brady. Um, the greatest
10:49
quarterback uh in NFL history. Um, as
10:52
great as Tom was, and he was great. Um,
10:55
he made a lot of great plays, but the
10:57
most important thing he did was he
10:58
eliminated the bad ones. And for
11:02
almost two decades, um, statistically,
11:05
you know, the Patriots had the fewest
11:07
negative running plays, fewest offensive
11:09
penalties, fewest third and long
11:11
situations.
11:12
um you know, fewest sacks, fewest
11:15
intercept turnovers and and the
11:18
quarterback handles the ball on every
11:19
play. So, there's nothing more important
11:21
than the decisions that the quarterback
11:22
makes um to make good plays or or in
11:25
some cases spectacular and right plays,
11:27
but most importantly on a down after
11:29
down basis, you know, to eliminate the
11:31
the bad ones, not just at his position,
11:33
but you know, overall offensively.
11:35
Sometimes quarterbacks can do things to,
11:38
you know, to bail you out of a situation
11:39
that doesn't look good. So, yeah, I
11:41
agree with what Manny said, and I I've
11:43
said that about Tom Brady. Um, as great
11:46
as he was, the play the plays that stick
11:48
out the most to me are the lack of
11:51
negative ones or the negative ones that
11:53
he kept us out of when, you know, I made
11:56
a bad call or I put him in a situation
11:58
where this protection wasn't very good
11:59
against the blitz they were showing and
12:01
he found a way to either get rid of the
12:04
ball or change the protection so we
12:05
could block it, things like that. So
12:07
yeah, eliminating negative plays is is
12:09
really probably more important than
12:11
making the, you know, making the
12:13
spectacular ones
12:14
>> on the right. Second,
12:17
we've seen Caleb Jackson wearing a 62
12:20
jersey in practice. Is that related to
12:22
his weight and how's he looking?
12:25
>> Um Caleb's looked good. He's um um he's
12:29
a fast, explosive guy. Um he's good with
12:32
the ball in his hands, hard guy to
12:33
tackle. Um, and you know, when he runs
12:36
at a good pad level, which he does most
12:38
of the time, um, and he he's got good
12:41
speed in the open field, so and done a
12:43
good job in the passing game, blitz
12:44
pickup, and those kind of things. So,
12:46
um, you know, I enjoyed having him on
12:49
the team. I think he's going to
12:50
definitely help us and and it's going to
12:52
have a role. Um, but he's had a good
12:54
camp and, you know, just continues to as
12:56
he, you know, gets into our system and,
12:59
you know, gains confidence with um, you
13:01
know, with the offense. But you know,
13:02
Coach Me's done a good job with him in
13:04
terms of our run reads and pass
13:06
protection, blitz pickup, stuff like
13:08
that. He's done a nice job there.
13:12
>> Yeah. Big back, big number.
13:16
>> Greg, how do you feel about
13:22
>> Well, you know, I would say depth in
13:24
August is different than depth on
13:26
October and depth in November. You just
13:28
don't know. So you whatever depth you
13:30
have you like and keep um and hope you
13:34
can hang on to it. And sometimes you
13:36
gain depth if younger players come along
13:38
and develop which that happened last
13:40
year in a number of positions. Um but
13:43
you know what you currently have you try
13:44
to you know you try to keep and keep
13:46
those guys healthy at every position. Um
13:49
and then you know you want to develop
13:51
young players so that they give you that
13:52
depth. maybe they don't give it to you
13:54
today, but you know by September,
13:56
October, November, whenever it is, uh
13:58
that you have depth from those players.
14:00
So, it's a combination of those two
14:01
things. Um,
14:03
every coach wants more depth than they
14:05
have. I can tell you that doesn't matter
14:06
how much depth you have, you want more.
14:08
But, um, but a lot of it is you build
14:11
your depth internally by the development
14:12
of players and that's a big part of our
14:14
program. So, um, you know, I I think we
14:17
have enough young players on the
14:18
defensive line, honestly, on the whole
14:21
team. Uh we have a lot of young players
14:23
that you know hopefully their
14:24
development will give us depth uh at all
14:26
positions not just not just the D line.
14:29
>> We'll finish up here.
14:31
>> Morning Bill. Dean was a guy last year
14:33
that kind of popped and flat as a true
14:34
freshman. What have you seen from them
14:36
this offseason that'll I guess put him
14:39
in a position to to take the leap going
14:41
into the year?
14:42
>> Uh confidence for sure. you know, last
14:44
year he was just, you know, like a lot
14:46
of freshman trying to find his way,
14:48
trying to get, you know, get a role, get
14:50
some playing time, you know, find
14:52
something that he could do and then he,
14:54
you know, had an opportunity, took
14:55
advantage of it, and, you know, that's
14:57
given him a lot of confidence and given
14:58
us a lot of confidence as well. So
15:00
whether it's in the passing game,
15:02
carrying the ball, blitz pickup, um just
15:05
overall assignments and and formations,
15:07
things like that. Um, you know, he's
15:09
just obviously way ahead of where he was
15:10
last year, even though it's a new
15:12
offense. Uh but he's been able to, you
15:14
know, carry that forward with the
15:15
experience and confidence that he's
15:17
gained, you know, but for all all all
15:20
young players, but especially freshman,
15:21
that that confidence is a big thing, you
15:24
know, and just you you kind of go out
15:26
there your freshman year and go up
15:28
against guys that are more experienced
15:29
and get beat up a little bit and they
15:31
slick in and take advantage of stuff
15:33
that you're not quite ready for. And
15:34
then, you know, after you start having
15:36
success and start learning some of the,
15:38
you know, some of the tricks a little
15:39
bit yourself, um, then the game slows
15:42
down a little bit and, you know, it just
15:43
becomes gives you an opportunity to
15:45
perform better. So, I'd throw a lot of
15:47
our our freshman, red shirt freshman
15:49
into that category. Not the guys who
15:51
just got here, but I'm saying the guys
15:52
that are now sophomores or or red shirt
15:55
freshman. I don't know if that term
15:56
exists anymore with the new um you know
16:00
with new eligibility rules, but you know
16:02
guys in their second year and that's
16:03
pretty common. Again, I've always
16:05
experienced that. You know, you see
16:07
rookies come into the NFL and you know,
16:09
honestly, it's sometimes you got to, you
16:11
know, show them where the huddle is, you
16:12
know, and then by the time you get
16:14
through the second year, it's, you know,
16:16
they're acting like they're fiveyear
16:18
veterans because they're so much further
16:20
ahead than they were that first year
16:21
when they, you know, barely knew what
16:24
they were doing, had no idea what was
16:25
going on. on the other side of the ball.
16:27
Um, didn't know how to condition, didn't
16:29
know how to train, didn't know what the
16:30
expectations were, just trying to
16:31
survive dayto day. Um, you know, now
16:34
those guys, you know, they know what the
16:36
schedule is, they what practice is going
16:38
to be like, they know, you know, more of
16:40
an idea of what's going to happen on the
16:41
other side of the ball, how to
16:43
anticipate things, they know what
16:44
they're doing. They're more confident
16:45
they can play faster. It's that year
16:47
makes a it makes a big difference.
16:49
>> Thank you.
16:50
>> All right. Thank you. Appreciate
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