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WR Jordan Shipp, LB Derek McDonald, QB Billy Edwards Jr. and DE Melkart Abou-Jaoude presser #UNC
Aug 24, 2026
WR Jordan Shipp, LB Derek McDonald, QB Billy Edwards Jr. and DE Melkart Abou-Jaoude presser #UNC
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0:00
the comfort level going into this season
0:02
compared to last season as far as
0:04
preparing for TC.
0:06
>> Yeah, I mean uh I feel good. Feel like
0:08
this team is a lot closer because we've
0:10
had so much like more time together. We
0:12
had a good like seven months together
0:13
just to continue to keep growing as a
0:15
brotherhood and continue like um
0:17
continue to keep setting our standard
0:19
higher and higher, being able to hold
0:20
each other to that level and also being
0:22
able to build a player culture that we
0:23
know we can fall on no matter what's
0:25
going on. you know, no matter who it is,
0:27
no matter good or bad, no matter what it
0:28
is, we know what that we want the
0:30
leaders to do. And um not not even just
0:32
the captain, it's just everybody in the
0:33
in the facility from freshman to the
0:35
older guys. Everybody want everybody to
0:36
uh play and try and just live by the
0:38
same standard. So feel like I feel uh
0:40
pretty comfortable.
0:43
>> What how would you describe the
0:44
excitement of playing an international
0:46
game where everybody's going to be
0:47
watching in a week zero setting?
0:50
>> Yeah, I mean, who wouldn't want to play?
0:52
It's a free trip out the country to go
0:54
play football, you know? I mean, I'm
0:56
super excited. It's my first time going
0:57
out the country. Uh my family's first
0:59
time going out the country as well. So,
1:00
just being able to experience that at
1:02
such a great uh prestigious school like
1:04
this and everything like that with a
1:05
bunch of my brothers and a lot of my
1:06
closest friends. Super excited.
1:09
>> What are you most excited about in terms
1:10
of not football necessarily, but maybe
1:13
seeing something in terms of
1:14
experiencing something in Del.
1:16
>> Um I don't know. I'm I'm not really like
1:19
going for like, you know, like a
1:21
vacation. And I'm just I'm trying to do
1:22
whatever we can to go win a football
1:24
game. At the end of the day, that's all
1:25
that matters. We're not really going to
1:27
do anything extra. A bunch of extra
1:28
stuff here. We're going to go we're
1:29
going to practice. We're going to get
1:30
our lips in. Nothing's going to change.
1:31
We're in another country, another time
1:33
zone.
1:35
>> Sh. We we talked with Mason Humphrey
1:37
last week and he told us that even
1:39
though he's a new guy here relatively,
1:42
that he understands the importance of
1:44
this game for this program given what
1:46
happened here in Chapel Hill against DCU
1:48
last year. What have you and other
1:50
leaders on the team sort of communicated
1:52
to some of some of the pressure faces
1:54
about just getting your get back against
1:56
DC?
1:57
>> I mean, it's not a rivalry game, you
1:59
know, like that. It's not like we're
2:00
going to go play Duke. We're not going
2:01
to go play NC State, you know? It's not
2:02
one of those big rivalry games. It's
2:04
just they beat us last year. It is what
2:06
it is. They beat us last year's we can
2:07
go back to go and fix it. So, I mean,
2:08
what are we going to do different this
2:10
year to go make those plays? What are we
2:11
going to do? Are we going to make sure
2:13
they don't have explosive plays? Are we
2:14
going to create more explosive plays?
2:16
Are we going to be able to run the ball
2:17
we want to? what what are we going to
2:18
do? Are we going to control the line of
2:20
scrimmage? Small stuff like that. So,
2:21
it's not really about, oh, they beat us
2:23
last year. Like, of course, like, yeah,
2:24
that's in the back of your head. But, I
2:25
mean, like I said, a lot of those guys
2:27
that a lot of us that lost to them last
2:28
year are even here. So, it is what it
2:30
is. And just the fact that he knows that
2:32
it just shows that like we know what we
2:34
need to go do. We just going to make
2:35
sure we just play our best football when
2:37
it's needed.
2:38
>> Jordan, as a captain and obviously a
2:40
receiver, what do you think separated
2:42
Billy from the rest to allow him to
2:44
become the starter? Um I mean personally
2:47
feel like uh I I know me personally I
2:49
liked all the quarterbacks. I don't
2:50
think there was like a big no drastic
2:52
thing or anything like that. I feel like
2:54
um all of our I'm confident in all of
2:55
our quarterbacks. Um all of add DJ and
2:58
Andy in there as well. You know I I love
2:59
them all. So I mean I don't feel like
3:01
there's a big difference. I think one of
3:02
the um things that helped him was you
3:04
know his experience. You know um the one
3:05
thing you can't teach is experience.
3:07
He's been playing for so long and he
3:09
understands a lot of different stuff.
3:10
There's not too many coverages and stuff
3:11
he hasn't seen. he's able to communicate
3:13
with as well in [snorts] the huddle and
3:14
stuff like that. So, I mean feel like
3:16
that might have been something, but I
3:17
mean at the end of the day, it wasn't my
3:19
decision. It wasn't none of our
3:20
decisions. That's who the coaches felt
3:21
the best with. So, I mean that's what
3:22
we're going to rock out with. But, I
3:23
mean, I feel like we're all confident in
3:25
all of our quarterbacks.
3:25
>> What's an example of that experience
3:27
displaying itself in training camp that
3:29
you can remember back to maybe talking
3:31
with him or something?
3:33
>> Just um like I said, just talking to him
3:34
on the field. You know, when you're
3:35
going against your defense every day for
3:37
month, month and a half, they're going
3:39
to start picking up on things. just
3:40
being able like know he sees something
3:42
in the huddle he'll get it out to you
3:43
real quick and be like let's do this
3:44
different you know we've been running it
3:45
diff at this depth let's push it a
3:47
little deeper you know I'll make sure
3:48
you I'll wait for you to get there to
3:49
change up the timing a little bit just
3:51
small stuff like that but I mean like I
3:52
said I feel confident in all the
3:53
quarterbacks and I've seen that from uh
3:55
Miles Tori and Tra as well you know so I
3:57
mean I feel like everybody that whole
3:59
room together is just growing daily and
4:01
they're um just pushing each other I
4:02
know they're a super tight room and
4:04
everything like that and a lot of those
4:05
guys they just want to see each other
4:06
succeed
4:08
>> you a clean about Pat put Patri in our
4:10
offense. I guess what are the
4:12
differences you've noticed and what
4:14
impact do you feel like have on your
4:15
game?
4:16
>> Um I mean I feel like um I like I like
4:19
his offense. I mean I feel like Coach P
4:20
is a he's a great coach. He's had
4:22
success everywhere he's been. So I mean
4:24
it's hard not to you know trust in him
4:25
and his offense. So I mean in terms of
4:27
uh how I feel impacting my game, I don't
4:29
really see like it impacting my game. I
4:31
just want to be able to go do whatever
4:33
my team needs me to do. do the math.
4:34
That's catching 100 passes this year or
4:36
catching one. If I got to go block every
4:38
play or run every route, whatever it is,
4:40
everything in between, whatever I have
4:41
to do to make sure that we get more
4:43
wins, that's what I'm going to do.
4:46
>> And Charlotte, you you mentioned that
4:48
your position, your leaders here, it's a
4:50
talented, but it's also a super young
4:52
group. Yeah.
4:53
>> What did you see throughout training
4:54
camp? Maybe any names. What did you see
4:55
from from the young guys in your
4:57
position? uh can't drop any names, but I
5:00
mean a lot of those guys were like were
5:01
working very hard and we've seen a lot
5:03
of growth over that time and you know it
5:04
was hard for freshman to come in and
5:06
have like an intense training camp like
5:08
we had and be able to stay focused for
5:10
that long. But that was something we
5:11
made in our room. We wanted to be the
5:13
best position group on the team. We
5:14
wanted to know like all the juice is
5:16
going to come from us. We're going to
5:17
have the most energy at practices. We're
5:18
going to make the plays and everything
5:20
like that. And of course it started with
5:21
the older guys, but then when we further
5:23
and further we got in camp, it trickled
5:24
down to the younger guys and they were
5:25
making plays. you know, they were doing
5:27
a lot of different stuff, you know, they
5:28
were um a lot of them were getting
5:29
opportunities to go against the ones and
5:31
stuff like that on defense and they're
5:32
still making plays, you know. So, I
5:33
mean, stuff like that, just seeing the
5:35
way those boys have grown and um for me
5:37
being able to like have hosted some of
5:38
them on their OVs and stuff like that
5:40
and have previous relationships with a
5:42
lot of those guys and just seeing them
5:43
coming to college the first year and be
5:44
able to make plays, that's not that's
5:46
not um it's rare you have that
5:48
throughout the whole room. like you know
5:49
maybe you have one or two players but to
5:50
bring in I think we had like seven
5:52
freshman six or seven freshman to be
5:54
able to see all of them making plays in
5:55
different ways you know that's very
5:57
special so I got and I got nothing but
5:58
love for all those guys in the room
5:59
super close with a lot of those guys and
6:01
um I said I love them all
6:04
the circus atmosphere last year died
6:06
down if so how beneficial is that
6:09
>> I'm sorry what did you say
6:10
>> the circus atmosphere last year do you
6:12
feel like it's died down a little bit
6:15
for the first time it's died down a
6:17
little bit
6:18
>> I game. Yeah, but I mean we we don't
6:20
really we weren't really paying
6:21
attention to that that much last year.
6:22
You know, that's something he made known
6:23
that like we all knew when you bring the
6:25
greatest coach of all time to college
6:27
and it's his first season, all the all
6:28
the lights are going to be on us.
6:30
There's going to be a lot of different
6:30
stuff and um we kind of realized that as
6:33
we were going into it, you know, people
6:34
saying, you know, oh, Coach Bich's not
6:36
with this team during the by-weeks and
6:37
we're on the practice field with him.
6:38
Small stuff like that. Just everybody
6:40
wants to see coach Bichc fail. You know,
6:42
everybody wants to see him fall. So, we
6:43
kind of understood that. So, we never
6:45
really paid attention to like the
6:46
outside noise. And it really doesn't
6:47
matter what nobody outside of these
6:49
walls, whatever anybody else thinks cuz
6:51
they're not the ones out there playing
6:52
with us or coaching with us or pushing
6:54
us in the weight room or whatever we're
6:55
doing. They weren't out there with us
6:56
those early mornings out there
6:58
conditioning and stuff like that. So,
6:59
none of that stuff really matters. We
7:00
never really paid no mind to that. So, I
7:02
don't think it matter.
7:04
>> Jordan, that's this time a year ago when
7:07
you guys started game for TCU as a guy
7:10
who was there then fully put in now, how
7:13
would you kind of articulate what is
7:16
totally different right now as opposed
7:17
to last year. What are some of the
7:19
things that jump out that are most
7:21
different about where you guys are as a
7:23
team and as a program?
7:25
>> Um, I feel like as a team and as a
7:27
program, like both of those things tying
7:28
together, like we're a lot closer. Like
7:31
I don't think people really understand
7:32
how hard it is to have pretty much a
7:34
whole new team, have one team in the
7:36
spring, then a whole another team in the
7:37
summer. you know, it's hard to build
7:39
that strong relationship in 2 months and
7:42
then go play in one of the biggest games
7:44
ever. You know, with that being Coach
7:45
B's first college game and everything
7:47
like that. So, I mean, I feel like it
7:48
all comes down to the camaraderie that
7:50
this team has built in the hours that we
7:51
spent together. We spend a lot of time
7:53
together off the field, on the field, of
7:55
course, conditioning and stuff like that
7:56
and being able to really really push
7:58
each other and be able to hold each
7:59
other to a standard that isn't always
8:00
comfortable. You know, when you're
8:01
calling out certain people, you know,
8:03
that it's not always the most
8:04
comfortable thing, you know. I mean,
8:05
just being able to get through that and
8:07
seeing the way those guys have grown
8:08
through that as well, you know, like we
8:09
have, of course, you on every team, you
8:10
have some guys that don't want to be
8:12
talked to at certain times and stuff
8:13
like that, but you seeing that fade the
8:16
closer and closer we've got to the
8:17
season and as further as we got into the
8:19
chemistry and um into the offseason
8:21
workouts and stuff like that. So, just
8:22
being able to see that growth throughout
8:24
the team and seeing everybody put like,
8:25
you know, their pride to the side and
8:26
putting themselves to the side of doing
8:28
what's best for the team first. So, I
8:30
feel like that's the biggest thing is
8:31
just how closer this team has gotten and
8:33
the relationships that we continue to
8:35
bond and form and it's going to do
8:36
nothing but get closer and closer. We're
8:38
going to continue to grow more and more
8:39
throughout the season.
8:40
>> Does that give you more confidence in
8:42
the football stuff as well?
8:44
>> Yeah, I feel I feel pretty confident. I
8:46
like uh everything that's going on. I
8:48
know um they're not going to put us into
8:50
um you know, situations to go fail. You
8:52
know, they're going to put our we're
8:53
going to put our best foot forward every
8:54
day and that's um that's going to start
8:56
with practice today. Mike Shiff, what
8:59
does it mean to you to be named team
9:01
captain this year?
9:02
>> It means a lot, man. It um it definitely
9:04
means a lot. You know, I just uh that
9:05
was something that was voted on upon,
9:06
you know, my teammates and everything
9:08
like that. And um just the fact that
9:09
they look at me to be able to lead this
9:12
team and be one of the uh I think we had
9:13
seven of us. I want to say one of the
9:14
seven captains, you know, that that
9:16
means a lot. And also shout out to all
9:17
the other guys that were voted as well.
9:19
You know, that was that's a very very
9:20
good captain room. It's a lot of um
9:22
diversity in that room in terms of how
9:24
you lead, the way carry yourself and
9:26
stuff like that. you know, like some of
9:27
us are more outspoken than others. Some
9:29
uh lead by just their actions and don't
9:31
say as much. So, you know, just being
9:33
able to have that that huge spectrum of
9:35
just leaders, you know, it's just it's a
9:36
lot. It's it's pretty good. And that's
9:38
um offense, defense, and special teams
9:40
as well, you know. So, I mean, it's just
9:42
it means a lot.
9:43
>> And of those captains and Derek McDonald
9:45
wasn't even here last year. Now, he's a
9:46
team captain. What does that say about
9:48
him and what stood out about his
9:49
leadership so far?
9:50
>> Yeah, DMC's a great player, man. He's
9:51
going to make a lot of plays for us this
9:53
year. He's um he's a he's an outspoken
9:55
leader. but he speaks a lot especially
9:57
to the defense and stuff like that with
9:58
all the calls and stuff like that making
10:00
sure he's always communicating and I see
10:01
him talking to his Dline all the time
10:03
just making sure there's anything he
10:04
could do to make sure they're in better
10:06
in a better like position to succeed or
10:09
anything like that anything he could do
10:10
better he's always talking to his
10:11
secondary safeties behind him and stuff
10:13
like that just making sure the defense
10:14
is communicating and Caleb cost does
10:16
that at a high level as well he's always
10:18
communicating talking to his guys and he
10:20
comes out and he sets the standard for
10:21
that secondary so you know just the fact
10:23
that we have guys that can do that like
10:24
you You talk about how DMAX only been
10:26
here a couple months, but then K2, I
10:28
think this is his fourth year here. I
10:29
want to say this is his fourth year
10:30
here. So, I mean, just being able to
10:32
have, like I said, that wide special
10:33
guys and just all the different stuff
10:35
that's going on, you know, it's amazing.
10:37
>> Good stuff.
10:39
>> Appreciate you.
10:40
>> Yeah, it's definitely a big honor. I
10:43
think just coming in here and uh getting
10:45
to work early, getting to know the guys
10:47
the best I could in the past 8 months.
10:49
Um, it's an honor that that they named
10:51
me captain, that they feel that way
10:53
about me. But, uh, now it's my job to
10:55
make sure that they name the right guy
10:56
captain.
11:01
>> Derek, obviously in Steve's absence, how
11:03
much confidence do you have both
11:04
obviously with yourself and maybe on the
11:06
field and the entire defensive staff as
11:08
a whole to to make the right call in the
11:10
right spot? Yeah, I mean I think we have
11:12
a lot of confidence obviously, you know,
11:15
it's coach Bichc's defense. So when you
11:17
have a guy like that uh kind of leading
11:19
the way and the coaching staff that we
11:21
have, there's so much experience. I I
11:23
think uh we have plenty of guys to come
11:24
fill in the holes and and make up for
11:26
that.
11:29
>> Next question.
11:31
Has
11:33
it been a challenge at all about not
11:34
having Steve Belch here at DC and
11:37
preparing for a game DC?
11:44
>> Yeah, I mean I think everyone has to
11:45
step up a little bit obviously when when
11:47
there's someone missing. Um but it's
11:50
definitely been a little bit of a
11:51
challenge, but I I think once again with
11:52
the coaches we have and the players we
11:54
have, everyone's just kind of taken
11:55
their game to another level. Everyone
11:57
stepped up a little bit and filled in
11:58
that role. Um, so yeah,
12:00
>> not that you would want to be in this
12:02
situation, but does it help that it
12:03
happened early in camp so you guys have
12:05
had a few weeks of sort of
12:07
>> uh I mean, yeah, I think understanding
12:09
kind of what we needed to do to fill in
12:11
that gap definitely helped that it
12:12
happened a little earlier than the day
12:14
before the game.
12:16
Derek, now that we are in game week, uh,
12:19
have any support staff let the team know
12:22
like, hey, here's what we want you to do
12:23
with your sleep schedule, your hydration
12:25
schedule, nutrition, um, given this big
12:28
trip that you guys are about to take.
12:30
>> Yeah, I mean, we we have a lot of people
12:32
helping us at all times. Um, Amber, our
12:34
nutritionist, is always on top of
12:35
things. So, I mean, I think we're just
12:37
focused on taking it day by day, but
12:39
obviously it's a it's a different type
12:41
of travel schedule than you'd have for
12:42
most games flying to a different
12:44
country. Um, so I think we're gonna have
12:46
a lot more steps that'll go into that
12:48
that we'll we'll get to when we get to
12:49
that day we start traveling.
12:53
>> What's it been like to play for coach
12:54
Belch? Has it been different than maybe
12:56
you thought as someone who watched
12:58
outside probably his career?
13:01
>> Yeah, I mean honestly it's I think it's
13:03
lived up to my expectations and probably
13:05
more. Um, he just just the way that he's
13:08
always involved is what's really
13:09
impressive. He's always hands in um and
13:12
trying to give us advice no matter
13:14
what's going on. And he loves he loves
13:16
being around football and he loves kind
13:18
of working with every position group
13:20
from the Dline to the secondary. So he
13:22
knows so much about football and having
13:23
him out there just helping every piece
13:25
of the team is super valuable.
13:27
>> Is there a certain bit of advice he's
13:28
given you that maybe you haven't come
13:29
across in all your years?
13:33
>> I mean I I don't think I can point to
13:34
one piece of advice, but just just the
13:36
way he sees the game. Um, you know,
13:39
there's so many nuances and and you can
13:41
tell he has so much information in his
13:43
head about football that, you know, he
13:45
probably knows more than or has
13:47
forgotten more than most people even
13:48
know about football. Um, but yeah, it it
13:51
just every day you learn something new
13:53
from him.
13:55
>> It's pretty early in the game week
13:56
obviously, but what have you learned in
13:58
your short time about how Bill goes
14:01
about a game week preparation and sort
14:03
of the schedule for the week? Yeah, I
14:05
mean to be honest with you, it's a lot
14:06
like he he does everything. He's very
14:08
processoriented.
14:10
Um we're very prepared and and every day
14:13
is another opportunity. There's there's
14:14
something we're focused on getting
14:16
better at. So it hasn't been too much
14:18
different. I think I think that's
14:19
something in the off season that we
14:21
focused on was just taking it day by day
14:23
and working on the things we needed to
14:24
that day. So now that we move into game
14:26
week, it's just another part of that
14:28
process and time to ramp up and be ready
14:30
to go.
14:31
What stood out about Billy Edwards
14:33
playing against him all these all these
14:35
months now spring summer and fall.
14:38
What's kind of stood out about him and
14:40
what do you expect from him?
14:42
>> Yeah, I mean you can tell he's an
14:43
experienced quarterback when you play
14:44
him. Um that's that's definitely one of
14:46
the big things. He he knows how to go
14:48
through his reads and he uh even even in
14:51
seven on seven in like the summer when
14:54
we would just be out there messing
14:55
around, you could tell, you know, he
14:56
would he would mess with the
14:57
linebackers, try to move us off the spot
14:59
a little bit. Um, but he's played a lot
15:01
of football and he's an experienced
15:02
quarterback and I think uh a lot of the
15:05
guys will have confidence being around
15:06
him and knowing that uh we're going in
15:08
with him as a starter.
15:11
>> Derek, are you going to be wearing the
15:12
green dot for the games this season? I I
15:14
don't know if I've ever asked you or
15:15
done that.
15:17
>> Um, I mean, we have multiple guys that
15:19
can wear the green dot, so it just it
15:21
depends on who's in there, but uh, yeah,
15:23
I've had experience with the green dot.
15:25
>> How comfortable are you and how long
15:27
have have you worn the green dot? Was it
15:28
at Syracuse and how long or have you
15:30
experienced that?
15:31
>> Yeah, I mean I'm pretty comfortable with
15:32
it. I' I've worn it at Syracuse before.
15:34
Um, so it's it's nothing crazy. It's
15:37
just one of those things that kind of
15:39
has developed in the past few years, but
15:41
honestly makes it a little easier to
15:42
communicate on the field.
15:45
>> As you turn the pages,
15:48
>> as you turn the page to YouTube, what do
15:50
you see from from David Craig? What
15:52
sticks out to you about him? Yeah, I
15:54
mean obviously he's a talented guy. Um
15:56
coming from the Ivy League, uh we can he
15:59
can run around a little bit. He's
16:00
definitely an athlete. Um but he can
16:02
throw the ball deep. He's got a pretty
16:03
big arm. So it'll be interesting to see
16:05
how they use him in that offense. But uh
16:07
I I think it's going to be a good
16:09
challenge for us.
16:10
>> When you're going against someone that's
16:11
making that jump from the from the FCS
16:13
to to the powerful level, is it
16:14
something that you know maybe you know
16:16
how or is it not making the digital
16:19
logistics?
16:21
Yeah, I mean you you can't you can't
16:23
really think, oh, he came from the FCS,
16:25
you know, and we have a ton of guys from
16:26
the FCS and we have some really good
16:28
players that came from the FCS. A lot of
16:30
people slip through the cracks early in
16:32
the recruiting process and then they end
16:34
up here. They end up in the right place.
16:35
Um, but he's super talented. You can see
16:38
that on film no matter who they're
16:39
playing and they're playing good
16:41
competition over there. So, uh, it'll
16:43
it'll be a good challenge.
16:46
Derek,
16:46
>> how how eager are you to go against
16:48
somebody that's not wearing the same
16:50
color as you?
16:51
>> Yeah, I mean that's that's always
16:53
exciting. I think uh we beat up on each
16:55
other pretty good the whole offseason,
16:56
spring ball all the way through fall
16:57
camp. So, it'll be a lot of fun. I mean,
17:00
even in practice, just getting into kind
17:01
of like some scout periods and
17:03
pretending like we're playing against
17:05
someone else. Uh it's it's definitely
17:06
more exciting. So, I think everyone on
17:09
the defense especially is excited to
17:10
play against a different offense.
17:12
>> Good stuff there. Thanks so much. Thank
17:14
you guys.
17:14
>> Appreciate J.
17:15
>> What do you think you did to get ASR?
17:20
>> Uh, I think just be consistent. I think
17:22
that was, you know, the the biggest
17:23
thing going into it of, you know, what
17:24
I've learned throughout my time in
17:26
college, whether it was at any of my
17:27
three previous stops of just being
17:28
consistent as a quarterback, making the
17:30
right decision. Sometime that means
17:32
throwing the ball away. Sometime that
17:33
means running out of bounds for, you
17:35
know, gain of one, just trying to put
17:36
the offense in the best situation,
17:38
eliminate the negative plays. Uh, one of
17:40
the phrases I got taught as a younger
17:41
player that kind of stuck with me is
17:42
mitigating risk. just, you know, coach
17:45
Belichc always says we can go forward
17:47
and the only way we can go forward is by
17:48
not going backwards. So, just really
17:50
eliminating the negative plays. Um, just
17:52
trying to consistently put us in the
17:53
best looks possible, whether it's check
17:55
runs or getting us out of a play if the
17:56
defense is presenting something. Um, I
17:58
think just trying to be consistent. I
17:59
know it was, you know, a long process
18:01
and dating back even to, you know, win
18:04
or almost, I think 8 months ago when we
18:05
came in here and started learning the
18:07
offense, just figuring out, okay, what
18:09
are what is going to be our bread and
18:10
butter? What are our good looks? What
18:11
are our bad looks against these plays?
18:12
and figuring out how I can go out there
18:13
and best execute them.
18:14
>> You won a couple bouts previously at
18:16
different programs. How much has that
18:17
kind of helped you as you went to the
18:19
daily grind of trying to move?
18:20
>> Yeah, I think a lot. I think the biggest
18:22
thing for me was just putting my head
18:23
down and knowing that it's not going to
18:24
be one day. It's not going to be one
18:25
snap, one play of just I think the big,
18:27
you know, word that I kind of repeated
18:29
to myself was consistency. Just knowing
18:31
that whether I had a good day or a bad
18:32
day, it's it's not going to last. You
18:34
got to show up tomorrow and continue to
18:36
do the same thing. Continue to put your
18:37
best foot forward. So, just trying to be
18:38
consistent. Um, and I think the the
18:40
biggest thing for me even from spring
18:41
when I came in here and you know maybe
18:43
first spring one or two practices I
18:46
wasn't as comfortable, right? I'm coming
18:47
off an injury. I'm in a new offensive
18:49
system. I'm at a new place. So there's a
18:50
lot of even for me as a 23-year-old and
18:52
a guy that's transferred multiple times.
18:53
There's a lot of adjustments and a
18:54
learning curve you have to go through.
18:55
So seeing the the the growth I made from
18:58
practice 1, 2, and three in spring to
19:00
practice 15 um gave me a lot of
19:02
confidence coming in here, getting back
19:04
in the summer, having all that spring
19:06
football under my belt in that offense,
19:07
and then, you know, really trying to do
19:09
the same thing in fall camp, which I
19:10
think I achieved and and really
19:11
throughout the season, you want to be,
19:13
you know, playing your best football
19:14
when it's needed. Um so just continue to
19:15
try and get better every day. Obviously
19:18
with last season special
19:21
detail your your road to recovery and
19:23
and how eager are you to to get back out
19:25
on the football field?
19:26
>> Yeah, I'm very excited. Um you know the
19:28
road to recovery I don't even it was I
19:31
guess weird per se right with the injury
19:33
that I had with you know spraining your
19:34
PCL. It's not um a whole whole lot of a
19:37
common thing. So it was just you know it
19:40
was kind of like the quarterback battle
19:42
just trying to be consistent trying to
19:43
attack every day. You know there were
19:45
good days, bad days. um in terms of my
19:47
recovery last fall. Uh but really Moses,
19:50
you know, I give a lot of credit to
19:51
Moses and our training staff. They've
19:52
helped me out a lot. Um and, you know, I
19:54
feel great. I feel, you know, 100%. I'm
19:56
excited to go out there and play. I
19:58
haven't been wearing a brace um since
19:59
spring. I didn't wear it all summer.
20:01
Didn't wear all fall camp. So, I'm
20:02
excited uh to, you know, just go out
20:04
there and compete again. It's been it's
20:05
been a while since I've been able to go
20:06
out there and, you know, actually play
20:07
some snaps. Um so, I'm really looking
20:09
forward to it.
20:10
>> Brian, what did they talk to you about
20:12
when they recruited you out of the
20:14
transfer portal? Did you know that they
20:15
were going to bring in, you know, Miles
20:17
and some other quarterbacks? How much
20:19
heads up were you giving those?
20:20
>> Yeah, I was, they were very transparent.
20:22
Um, I think the biggest thing for me
20:23
looking, you know, when I was in the
20:24
transfer portal was just an opportunity
20:25
to compete. Um, obviously I was going
20:27
into my sixth year, I'd been to a number
20:29
of other stops and really just looking
20:31
forward to what opportunity could give
20:32
me the the best opportunity to grow,
20:34
right? And coming here and working for a
20:36
coach like Coach Patrino and playing
20:37
under for, you know, a coach like Coach
20:39
Bichc. Those were obviously the two
20:40
biggest factors for me. Um, but they
20:42
were very transparent and I was just,
20:43
you know, seeking opportunity. I've
20:45
tried to do that throughout my whole
20:46
college career. I think everybody's
20:48
college careers are different.
20:49
Everybody's, you know, when you play,
20:50
how you play, how it happens is
20:52
different. But I think the one thing
20:53
that I've always tried to do is just
20:54
seek opportunity. And, you know, when
20:56
you seek the opportunity and you prepare
20:58
the right way and those two meet and you
20:59
have a chance to, you know, be
21:00
successful.
21:01
>> What was the decision to to leave me?
21:04
You started most of that. How did that
21:06
play out? Why did you go to Wisconsin?
21:08
>> Yeah, I was just looking for for a
21:09
different fit, right? Obviously, when I
21:10
when I made the decision to go to
21:11
Wisconsin, I was, you know, in hope
21:12
going to a fifth year, try and get to a
21:14
little bit different of a system,
21:16
something that could help me elevate and
21:17
grow and, you know, maybe some things
21:18
that I didn't do as much in college
21:20
football up to up until that point. Um,
21:22
so really just trying to, you know,
21:23
challenge myself, go to another school.
21:24
Obviously, like I said, there's learning
21:26
curves and growth in transferring. Um,
21:28
so really just trying to get myself
21:29
outside my comfort zone, go to a new
21:31
place, a new program, run a new scheme,
21:33
and continue to to become a better
21:35
player in person.
21:37
Billy, you mentioned sort of mitigating
21:39
negative plays as being a factor that
21:42
you think helped you win the job. Coach
21:44
Bich, we had him earlier earlier in the
21:46
fall camp and he mentioned that that's
21:47
one of the top things that he looks for
21:49
in a quarterback and that's one of the
21:50
things that made Tom Brady so successful
21:52
and they were in bed with the Patriots.
21:54
Has he shown you and the other
21:56
quarterbacks? Have you like gone over
21:57
Brady film from when he was in the NFL
21:59
and so and then coach Belch just
22:02
pointing out okay here's what he did
22:03
here?
22:03
>> Yeah. Oh yeah, absolutely. And the the
22:05
biggest thing too that he always talked
22:06
about with um with Tom Brady was, you
22:09
know, when the defense gave him
22:10
opportunities for big plays, like he
22:11
made him pay. When the defense made a
22:13
bad, he turned it into an ugly for them
22:15
by, you know, exploiting it and getting
22:16
a big play or getting explosive or
22:18
making the right check. Um so he's he's
22:20
gone over a ton of that whether it's,
22:21
you know, in team film and film with him
22:23
on the field, he'll pull us over all
22:25
side and make sure if I'm in there, if
22:27
Miles in there, if Travis is in there,
22:28
that we're all getting the coaching
22:29
point. That way we know, you know, we're
22:30
all on the same page. And obviously it
22:32
helps when you know he can go back in
22:33
his arsenal of film and pull out
22:35
arguably the greatest quarterback of all
22:37
time doing it whether it was preseason
22:39
game week one or you know they're
22:40
playing in February um for for the
22:43
trophy. So, it's it's been fun to, you
22:45
know, see that obviously as a player and
22:47
and an older guy that has been around a
22:48
lot of coaches and a lot of different
22:50
programs and a lot of different systems,
22:52
you know, when you can go back and pull
22:53
up the tape and it's, you know, it's the
22:55
pinnacle of of the game of football
22:57
playing on the Sunday, you know, AFC
22:59
Championship game, Super Bowl, and you
23:01
can watch the tape and that's what, you
23:03
know, you're getting coached to do and
23:04
asked to do. It makes it a lot easier to
23:05
know, okay, obviously it's done at the
23:07
highest level, but this is how I'm
23:08
getting coached. I'm getting, you know,
23:10
all the same coaching points that this
23:11
guy did how many other years ago. Um, so
23:13
it makes a lot of fun and, you know,
23:14
obviously it's easy to go back there and
23:16
watch Tom Brady film and, you know, try
23:18
and learn from it and take everything
23:19
you can from coach Bichc that obviously
23:20
coached him for a while.
23:23
>> So your second year in a row jumping in,
23:24
learning the new system like what did
23:26
you learn from the previous experience
23:28
and how did that guide how you went
23:30
about, you know, your early days going
23:32
to the offense and getting the receivers
23:34
and all that?
23:34
>> Yeah, I enjoy it. I enjoyed it a lot.
23:35
It's like a challenge. Um, you know,
23:37
it's I think every year when you know,
23:39
whether I was at Maryland, we had a new
23:40
offensive coordinator or obviously in
23:42
you know, my transfer decisions, uh,
23:44
it's kind of humbling when you come in
23:45
in the beginning and you get new
23:46
terminology and you get a new playbook.
23:48
But I find it really fun. I find it
23:49
really enjoyable. I've had, you know,
23:51
probably definitely over the last 2,
23:54
three years and learning new systems,
23:55
but probably just in this last year
23:56
alone making like a thousand flash
23:57
cards, trying to write it all down. Like
23:59
that was, you know, the one thing that
24:01
I've always the guys in the quarterback
24:02
room, we're all different learners. And
24:04
for me, I'm like a rep guy. like I need
24:05
to write it down a thousand times. I
24:07
want to see it. I want to, you know, go
24:08
walk through it by myself. So, I I've
24:10
always enjoyed that challenge of trying
24:11
to learn a new system and really trying
24:12
to get, you know, Coach Patrino's head
24:14
of, hey, when he calls this play, this
24:15
is what I'm envisioning. This is why I
24:17
want to call it and this is, you know,
24:19
what I want to get to if I don't get the
24:20
look that I want for it.
24:21
>> Have you always been doing the uh
24:24
flashards and stuff?
24:25
>> Yeah, absolutely. I think it's I think
24:27
it's a mix. My dad obviously, you know,
24:28
was a high school football coach for 30
24:31
something years. My mom's a teacher. She
24:33
still teaches. So, I think I got a blend
24:34
of those two of right. Obviously, I go
24:36
out and get physical reps, but I have a
24:37
little bit of, you know, type A
24:38
personality of I like to be organized.
24:40
Like to have my stuff in order. So, I
24:42
definitely have some of my mom and me. I
24:43
think that's where I get all the flash
24:44
cards. And, you know, I go home and take
24:46
a million of her office supplies to make
24:47
sure I got all the stuff I need to learn
24:49
a new system.
24:51
>> All right. What What makes this office
24:54
different than some of the other offices
24:56
you've played in or some of the office
24:58
that you've seen around the country?
25:00
Yeah, I think just the ability to be
25:01
explosive and I think some of that comes
25:03
in, you know, just the the small mundane
25:05
plays, not, you know, we're not going to
25:06
take a shot every play, but you know, I
25:08
think the when you turn on the film of
25:10
pretty much everywhere he's been
25:12
throughout his, you know, coaching
25:13
career, whether he was a head coach,
25:14
offensive coordinator, you know, his
25:16
offense has been explosive. They have,
25:17
you know, found ways to be explosive,
25:19
whether it was in the quarterback,
25:21
obviously at Lamar, he had Taylor Green
25:22
last year, he was really explosive
25:23
runner. And then you go watch, you know,
25:26
I don't remember the quarterback at
25:27
Louisville or the quarterback at
25:28
Missouri State, but they're they are
25:29
explosive offenses. Um they, you know,
25:32
try to take advantage of what the
25:33
defense gives you. If we call a naked,
25:35
defense is something else. You know, we
25:36
always have our answers in our checks.
25:38
Um we have a really deep toolbox and
25:40
things that we feel that we can use to
25:42
our advantage of, okay, if we call this
25:43
play and the defense give us what we
25:45
want, boom, we know we're going one to
25:46
two and we have a chance for an
25:47
explosive play. If they do give us a
25:49
look we don't want, boom, we know we
25:50
have, you know, runs to go to that we
25:52
like against it. pass checks you go to
25:54
that we like against it. So I think just
25:55
the ability to be explosive I think when
25:57
you looked at all the places he's been
25:58
and the statistics I'm sure back it up
26:00
of you know his offenses score points
26:02
and they do it very efficiently and so I
26:04
think that's just been you know the
26:05
challenge for us ever since he came in
26:07
here in January of trying to match that
26:08
because the standards been set. He's
26:10
been coaching a long time. His offenses
26:11
have you know been su been successful
26:13
for a really long time so we're trying
26:14
to match that.
26:15
>> Think you'll be able to hit more deep
26:17
shots than than your previous stops?
26:19
Yeah, I would think, you know, I'd like
26:21
to think whatever the defense gives us,
26:22
we're going to be able to take. I think
26:23
Coach Patrino definitely in in the the
26:25
system there's the ability to take more
26:27
shots, but I think it's, you know, like
26:29
I said, a shot call doesn't always mean
26:30
a shot taken. Um, so I think just
26:32
continuing to try and perfect my craft
26:35
of okay, not, you know, forcing a ball
26:36
downfield, but if we call a shot, you
26:38
know, and it's there, we got to hit it.
26:39
We got to take advantage of it.
26:41
>> Okay. What's your relationship like with
26:44
the receiver
26:45
guys?
26:50
Uh, it's been a lot of fun. Obviously,
26:52
that room, you know, you got returners,
26:53
guys like Jordan Ship, you know, we had
26:55
transfers, Nathan Leox's a return, you
26:57
got T, you got Mason, you got older guys
26:59
in that room, but there's obviously a
27:00
lot of young, you know, young talent in
27:01
there, guys that got here just when I
27:03
got here and, you know, they're 17, 18
27:05
years old in the first in college for
27:06
the first time, away from home for the
27:08
first time. So, it's been a lot of fun
27:09
seeing that growth. um really as a
27:11
receiver room and a quarterback room as
27:13
a whole. Kind of seeing all of us come
27:14
together of okay, this is how we
27:16
envision that route being run at this
27:17
depth. Making sure we're all on the same
27:19
page. It's been a lot of fun. Um you
27:21
know, just seeing the guys make plays. I
27:23
think you've seen a lot of the young
27:23
guys, you know, make a lot of growth,
27:25
the transfers, ship get into a new
27:27
system. Obviously, he's an older guy
27:28
returner, but you see him adapt and kind
27:30
of find his place in the offense. And
27:32
you've seen everybody make, you know,
27:33
tremendous strides in the offense from
27:35
dating back to January and even through
27:36
spring ball. You know, we we we had some
27:39
good days in spring ball where we were
27:40
explosive. We've had our days in fall
27:41
camp where we've, you know, hit some
27:43
deep shots. So, seeing all those guys
27:44
come along, there's a lot of characters
27:45
in the room, too. So, there's never, you
27:47
know, never a dull moment when we're all
27:48
in there watching film. We're all, you
27:50
know, talking in the locker room. So,
27:51
it's been a lot of fun.
27:53
>> Billy, can you take us through the
27:54
moment you found out you were a starter?
27:58
>> Yeah, I mean, it was a conversation. Um,
28:02
you know, like I said, obviously I'm an
28:04
older guy. I've been through this
28:05
before. Uh, I think I don't even think I
28:07
told my dad about it for a couple days.
28:09
Like it was, you know, I I think going
28:11
in there my mindset, you know, it wasn't
28:14
that big of a deal. I guess that not to
28:16
say, you know, I take a lot of pride and
28:18
I I take I don't take it lightly that I
28:21
get the opportunity to to be the one in
28:22
the huddle and lead those guys. But I
28:24
think, you know, I've always said it. I
28:26
said it a lot when I was a starter at
28:27
Maryland. I think people get bored with
28:28
it. Like I'm a I'm a one day at a time
28:30
guy. Try not to get too high. Try not to
28:32
get too low. I think when people are in
28:33
the huddle or people are in this
28:34
facility and can see the same
28:36
consistent, you know, kind of steadfast
28:38
Billy, I think that helps, you know,
28:39
everybody else whether we're having a
28:41
great day, we're having a bad day, we're
28:42
having a great practice, we just had a
28:43
bad play, whatever it is, kind of can
28:45
look to me to to be that steady kind of
28:47
guy. So, I think that was, you know,
28:48
truthfully my my same reaction in there
28:51
of like, all right, you know, the
28:52
decision was made now back to business,
28:54
back to to getting ready for TCU.
28:56
>> Did you have any idea decision was being
28:58
made that day or was it just
28:59
>> I did not. I did not. for one or two
29:02
more.
29:03
>> Billy, making this transfer uh from
29:06
Wisconsin, how big has it been to have a
29:08
familiar face in Tret, uh not just
29:12
someone who you see every day, but
29:13
someone who you're going to be, you
29:15
know, interacting directly with on the
29:16
offense floor?
29:17
>> Yeah, it's been a lot of fun. T I think
29:19
uh I think T when he came in here for
29:21
his official visit, I was maybe like on
29:23
my way out and he flew in from Hawaii
29:25
and then I think he went back to Hawaii.
29:27
So T stayed with me for probably like
29:28
the first 3 or 4 days cuz I had kind of
29:30
gotten moved in. um a little bit prior
29:32
to him, but it's been a lot of fun. I
29:33
think obviously when you when we got
29:34
here, we were probably hit to hit more
29:36
than, you know, we were at Wisconsin
29:38
because we were both new guys. We're
29:39
both walking into a new place and there
29:41
was a lot of other new faces. Um but to
29:43
see him come along in the offense and to
29:44
see, you know, kind of the the plays in
29:46
there that we have that, you know,
29:48
really fits his game and he, you know,
29:50
has made a ton of plays on in fall camp
29:51
and spring ever since we've been here
29:53
has been a lot of fun and and I'm
29:54
excited. You know, we've had obviously a
29:57
year and a half over a year and a half
29:58
of a relationship now. And you know,
30:00
we've had good days, we've had bad days,
30:01
we've had good games, we've had bad
30:02
games together. So, I'm I'm excited for
30:04
the opportunity to go out there and
30:05
compete with them.
30:06
>> Last ability, you talk about obviously
30:08
going to this is your sixth year
30:10
college. Something that a lot of you
30:11
guys have here is your leadership and
30:14
that ability. How much of I guess
30:16
priority? How much do you lean on, you
30:18
know, being the leader
30:20
of the offense?
30:21
>> I lean on a I think the biggest thing
30:23
for me is, you know, when I was a
30:24
younger player, I had some really good
30:26
older guys in the room around me. Tia
30:27
Tungalo at Maryland, Sam Harman at Wake
30:29
Forest. And I think, you know, the
30:30
biggest thing those two taught me was
30:32
just being authentic, right? Being, you
30:33
know, don't try to be anybody that
30:34
you're not. Um, just be consistent in
30:37
who you are and be comfortable in your
30:38
own skin. And there's some days, you
30:40
know, I think I have great relationships
30:41
with everybody on the team and, you
30:42
know, you got to make your way around.
30:44
You got to learn the Dline, you got to
30:45
learn the DBs, you got to, you know,
30:46
become friends with everybody. But
30:47
strictly from an offensive perspective,
30:49
there's going to be days where yeah, I'm
30:50
going to put my arm around a guy, but
30:52
then there's going to be days where I'm
30:53
going to have to confront and demand
30:54
and, you know, maybe get on a little
30:56
bit. But I think the relationship piece
30:57
and and just, you know, knowing that
30:59
it's coming from a good place and
31:00
knowing that, you know, yeah, I'm not
31:02
going to be the guy yelling all the
31:03
time. That's not really my personality.
31:04
I like to kind of keep a, you know, a
31:06
calm presence and have some poise out
31:07
there. I think that that is the biggest
31:09
thing for me is just remaining
31:10
authentic, being true to myself, and
31:12
then understanding that each each
31:14
situation, each opportunity to lead kind
31:16
of calls for something different.
31:17
Whether it's a different person you're
31:18
talking to or, you know, we're on the
31:20
road, we're on home, good play, bad
31:21
play, it's going to call for something
31:22
different. And I kind of lean on my
31:24
experiences and the people that I've had
31:25
around me, you know, throughout my
31:26
career to kind of navigate those
31:28
situations as they come up.
31:30
>> Perfect. Good stuff, man. Thanks so
31:31
much. Appreciate You talk a lot about
31:33
your football journey over the past few
31:34
years from not knowing if you're going
31:36
to play high level college ball to going
31:38
to Delaware now coming here. Last year
31:40
you're second team all ACC and now
31:42
you're a team captain for North
31:44
Carolina. What does that mean to you as
31:46
sort of the culmination of that journey
31:48
so far?
31:49
>> It's an honor. You know, it's a blessing
31:50
to be picked by your teammates to be the
31:52
one who um who represents them and you
31:55
know, I take that with a lot of
31:57
responsibility and I got to be the best
31:59
version of myself every day to represent
32:01
that accurately.
32:02
>> How do they let you guys know that
32:04
you've been counted?
32:07
>> They just told us after a team meeting
32:09
that we were selected.
32:11
>> You know, Clark, you talked a lot about
32:13
consistency getting back to last season
32:14
and going into the offseason. That was
32:15
one of the areas you wanted to improve
32:17
most. How do you feel like you fit along
32:18
in that? And I guess what were some of
32:20
the specific things that you have seen
32:22
yourself work on over the offseason that
32:24
has really helped you in that area?
32:25
>> Yeah, a lot of work that I put in the
32:26
offseason I've really seen pay off. You
32:28
know, my get off, my effort to the ball
32:30
and just always working to move. You
32:32
know, if I get stuck with one move, my
32:34
rush isn't over. I got two, three more
32:35
to pull out and just keep working.
32:39
How have you kind of seen uh all the all
32:41
the new faces on the defensive line kind
32:43
of jail together as you know the first
32:46
game?
32:47
>> Yeah, I mean it's the closest the D line
32:49
has ever been. You know, we all love
32:50
each other. We see each other every day.
32:52
We've been working out with each other
32:54
every day. We're hard on each other. We
32:56
critique each other and everybody just,
32:58
you know, take that coaching. Nobody
33:00
gets upset and we're really family.
33:05
Elkart, given what happened um in the
33:07
TCU game last year here,
33:10
>> how how much of an urge do you feel to
33:12
like get that get back against them,
33:14
especially in a game that a lot of
33:15
people are going to be watching on
33:16
national television?
33:18
>> Every game you want to attack the same.
33:20
You want to be violent. You want to be
33:22
relentless. And there's no difference.
33:24
You want to be just as violent if we
33:25
beat him last year or if we lost.
33:30
what impact has Steve's absence had on
33:32
the defensive unit and you know how are
33:34
you guys trying to fill those gaps?
33:35
>> Yeah, you know obviously we miss him you
33:37
know he's a great coach and all the
33:38
other coaches you know have been
33:39
stepping up and you know we've been good
33:42
taking care of business.
33:44
>> Where have you seen Jaylen Harvey
33:45
improve since you since this offseason?
33:48
>> The biggest thing is consistency. you
33:50
know, Jaylen Harvey, he'll have a few
33:52
explosive plays every practice. You're
33:54
like, damn, he's a freak. And, you know,
33:56
he's just been able to do that more
33:58
consistently and more often.
33:59
>> How exciting is it for you to watch him
34:01
have those plays and know that come game
34:03
time, those kinds of things are going to
34:04
help you?
34:05
>> Yeah, it's exciting for sure.
34:08
>> Uh, when you look at when you look at
34:10
TCU, and you look at obviously Jerry at
34:12
quarterback, what kind of what what pops
34:14
off you watch on tape? He's a good
34:17
quarterback, smart, you know, mobile,
34:20
just excited to play.
34:21
>> And with a with a mobile quarterback,
34:23
does that, I guess, change maybe your
34:25
point of attack and pass rush or in the
34:28
gaps?
34:28
>> Yeah, you definitely got to be smarter.
34:29
You know, you can't just contain can't
34:31
let them rush up the B gap. So, we got
34:33
to maintain our rush lanes and keep them
34:35
in the pocket.
34:37
>> Your level of excitement just to face
34:39
another person on the offensive line
34:43
>> through the roof. Very excited. Anything
34:47
else on? All right, good stuff. Thanks
34:49
so
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