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#UNC quarterback Gio Lopez at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte
Jul 24, 2025
#UNC quarterback Gio Lopez at ACC Kickoff in Charlotte
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0:00
He's honestly easy to talk to and he
0:02
makes jokes and laugh just like
0:03
everybody else. But when it comes to
0:04
like, you know, getting serious, he's
0:05
he's locked in and he's the greatest
0:07
coach of all time. So you you be quiet
0:08
and you listen when you talk.
0:10
Big time jump obviously from USA up to
0:12
UNCC. Uh what makes you feel like you're
0:13
prepared for that type of league?
0:15
You know, honestly, you know, Coach
0:16
Apple White was, you know, very helpful
0:18
in my development as a player and I I I
0:20
give all a lot of credit to him. you
0:21
know, he developed me as a player and
0:22
just after this past season, you know,
0:24
he was super supportive of me and helped
0:26
me develop as a player and just as the
0:28
situation comes about like I really do
0:30
think I'm prepared to play. I mean, I
0:31
wouldn't have made that jump. I don't
0:32
think coach would have took me if you
0:34
don't think I could have played. Gio,
0:36
with you being coming here in the second
0:38
transfer portal window, you obviously
0:39
weren't able to participate in spring
0:40
practice, but what have you been able to
0:42
do with the guys just to get to know
0:44
them a little bit, sort of yourself with
0:46
with the team,
0:47
you know, coming in the second portal
0:48
window, you know, just just taking
0:50
people to lunch or like just talking to
0:51
them in the locker room. Just the little
0:52
things matter like just being in the
0:54
locker room a little longer than usual
0:55
talking to the guys when we condition or
0:57
we're in a weight room just being like
0:58
another supportive guy in that or when
1:00
we do player le practice being a leader
1:02
you know just trying to like lead in any
1:03
way shape or form I came to show up
1:05
every day.
1:05
Christo Kelly was very complimentary of
1:07
your golf game said he got good golf
1:09
swing.
1:09
Yeah me and uh me and Crystal went
1:11
golfing you know top golf a little bit
1:12
and uh I swung it all right there. I
1:14
feel like I put on a pretty decent show.
1:16
Joe, what's in the all the attention
1:18
that you guys are getting?
1:21
You know, at the end of the day, like
1:22
the tension's awesome. You know, you're
1:23
just thankful for the opportunity, but
1:24
you know, you just got to go out there
1:25
and compete at the end of the day. I
1:26
mean, either way, everyone's playing 12
1:28
games and you just got to put your best
1:29
foot forward. And I feel like with Coach
1:31
Bellich, he's going to help us do that.
1:33
Any additional pressure knowing that
1:35
there's going to be a lot of high on you
1:36
guys this year?
1:38
Uh, you know, if you don't love
1:39
football, if you don't want a little bit
1:40
of pressure, a little bit of, you know,
1:41
competition. So, for me, there's no
1:43
additional pressure.
1:44
Hey, Gio, just talk about some of the
1:46
goals you have this year as quarterback
1:48
of the North Carolina Cardinals. uh
1:50
goalwise is just to win games. I mean, I
1:52
could go go out there and throw for 10
1:53
yards a game. If we win 12 games, I
1:55
don't care. You know, I'm just all there
1:56
just to be a leader and, you know, win
1:58
games. And for me, of course, everyone
2:00
has their own personal goals, but if I
2:01
can win games, then I don't care what my
2:02
statue looks like.
2:03
You just talk about, you know, having
2:06
everyone watching you guys on national
2:08
television to start the college football
2:10
season against
2:12
DCU on Labor Day night.
2:14
Oh, it's exciting. Right now, you know,
2:15
you want to look so far ahead. and you
2:17
want to be so excited, but at the end of
2:18
the day, we still got fall camp. We
2:20
still got workouts on Monday. So, that's
2:21
why I'm I'm focused on right now.
2:23
Gio, what were the conversations with
2:24
Coach Bellich about coming to Carolina,
2:27
you ultimately joining the program?
2:28
Uh, when I was in that when I officially
2:30
got in that portal, me and Coach Bich
2:31
talked, I mean, he really was just
2:32
straightforward uh to the point. I mean,
2:34
he just told me like, hey, you're
2:35
willing to compete for a spot and want
2:37
to, you know, you know, play at a bigger
2:38
program, then you have that opportunity
2:40
here. Of course, nothing was given to me
2:41
cuz I didn't earn anything. You know,
2:42
I'm 20 years old. I had a lot of life
2:45
to, you know, still earn a lot of
2:46
things. So for me just the opportunity
2:47
was enough for me to take that.
2:49
What was that phone call like? What do
2:50
you remember about that?
2:51
I was to the point I mean of course he's
2:52
a man of not that many words you know
2:54
you know oxymoron of what he says but
2:55
for me uh you know he just told me like
2:58
hey like if you want to compete and he
2:59
told me he knew I was really close with
3:00
coach Apple and he's just saying like
3:01
you know I'm a pretty good coach too. I
3:02
was like I know you are. So for me it
3:04
was just an opportunity I couldn't pass
3:06
up.
3:07
Gio, what's your relationship like with
3:08
guys like Bryce and Max? Obviously both
3:10
of them in unique situations. Bryce
3:12
being a true freshman and Max way back
3:13
from that terrible injury. What has it
3:15
been working with them in an unofficial
3:17
uh way uh so far this summer?
3:19
You know, people have this persona that
3:20
of course everyone has this rivalry and
3:22
of course everyone wants to play, but
3:24
Bryce and Max and even like Tori and DJ
3:26
like all these guys, we're all just
3:28
we're all, you know, at the end of the
3:29
day, we're all young guys that's trying
3:30
to figure it out and I feel like
3:31
everyone's been helpful and I've, you
3:33
know, Max has been helping me learn the
3:34
playbook. I try to help Rice out a
3:36
little bit when we talk about plays or
3:37
like coverages and talk about stuff in
3:39
that manner. So just overall just, you
3:40
know, if you have a good QB room that
3:42
everyone's trying to be helpful and like
3:44
help each other be the best version of
3:45
yourself, you're going to have a good
3:46
room.
3:46
I've heard your skill check compared to
3:48
Lamar Jackson. Is that how you describe
3:51
your game?
3:52
Uh Lamar, I haven't heard that one.
3:53
That's a new one for me. I've gotten two
3:55
a good bit, but Lamar, I say I say I can
3:57
make plays off schedule. I mean, you
3:59
know, Lamar will be, you know, if it's a
4:00
great comparison to be compared to,
4:02
that's awesome. But for me, just just to
4:04
make plays, you know, make, you know,
4:05
offscript stuff. you know, when plays
4:06
break down, I can make a make a negative
4:08
play, not a negative play, and just make
4:09
sure the play doesn't go backwards, you
4:11
know, keep the change moving forward.
4:12
So, that's why I say it's a good
4:13
positive for my game.
4:15
Gio, I feel like your football career
4:16
has been defined by like trying to get
4:18
that opportunity, trying to get your
4:20
chance. How do you feel like you've
4:22
learned from that road and to get to
4:23
this point?
4:24
Oh, for me, you know, just very thankful
4:25
for everything I've gone. You know, for
4:27
me, I tore my shoulder my junior year,
4:28
had surgery on it. Um, a lot of schools
4:30
stopped talking to me. So, South Alabama
4:32
gave me that opportunity. I'm forever
4:33
thankful for that. and just the
4:35
opportunity to be able to compete on the
4:36
big on a bigger level is of course with
4:37
the greatest head coach of all time. I
4:39
mean, who wouldn't take that deal? You
4:40
know what I'm saying?
4:41
You learned during your time at South
4:43
Carolina.
4:43
Oh, well, Coach Apple played quarterback
4:45
at Texas. So, I learned so much from
4:47
him. He taught me, you know, reading
4:48
plays or reading defenses or
4:50
understanding like, you know,
4:52
protection. Just overall like who I am
4:54
today. I wouldn't be as a quarterback
4:55
without coach Apple and even as a
4:56
person. He was he was a huge help for
4:58
me. Yeah. And knowing that you kind of
4:59
had that attention dropped off the high
5:01
school that you mentioned. What does it
5:02
mean to you now to have this
5:04
opportunity?
5:05
You know, just don't take anything for
5:07
granted. I mean, I know a lot of people
5:08
would would love to be in my situation
5:09
and I I've waited my turn. I've tried to
5:11
earn everything I've done and I've had a
5:13
great support cast and just to have the
5:15
opportunity to be here has been was a
5:16
blessing.
5:17
Gio, college already got this question,
5:19
but from your perspective, how's the
5:21
quarterback battle going so far this
5:22
summer? And why what's that North
5:24
Carolina like? Uh for me, the
5:26
quarterback battle has been awesome. You
5:28
know, of course, as a competitor, you
5:29
you got to love it. I mean, if you don't
5:30
love competition, you shouldn't be
5:31
playing football and Max has been
5:33
awesome. You know, he's honestly we've
5:35
been super helpful with each other and
5:36
we went to man and pass academy together
5:37
and we honestly got closer there. So,
5:39
the whole stigma that you, you know,
5:41
hate the guy you're competing against
5:42
isn't true. Me and Max have been, you
5:44
know, pretty good people and we're both
5:45
competing from a good sense and I feel
5:46
Bryce is going to be a great player as
5:47
well. Everyone's just competing. And
5:48
then when it comes to North Carolina, I
5:50
love it. You know, Chapel Hill is cool
5:51
to be in a college town. South Alabama
5:53
was awesome. wasn't as much as a college
5:55
town, but like being in Chapel Hill is a
5:56
really cool experience.
5:57
I know you haven't been there long, but
5:58
being coached under Freddy Kitchens,
6:00
have you gotten a feel for what the
6:01
offense might look like this season?
6:02
You know, just just more of an NFL like
6:04
offense. I mean, of course, like it's
6:06
it's different when you're at South
6:07
Alabama and you're watching tape and
6:08
they're bringing up South Alabama tape
6:09
and then when you turn on tape with
6:11
Kitchens, it's the Patriots or when he
6:13
was the head coach of the Browns, you're
6:14
like, "Wow." Like, I'm watching NFL guys
6:16
and where I want to be. I'm watching
6:17
them execute this play. So, it's been
6:18
it's been awesome learning from him,
6:20
especially him playing at Alabama. He's
6:21
had experience at the position. What
6:23
what was Bill Bellichic's kind of pitch
6:25
to get you to come to with Carolina?
6:27
Funny enough, it wasn't wasn't much of a
6:29
pitch needed. You know, when you get the
6:30
greatest head coach of all time talking
6:32
to you, you pretty much just listen. But
6:34
just kind of told me just the chance to
6:35
compete, you know, and that's all I
6:36
wanted. I'm not asking for any handouts.
6:38
I just want to compete and he gave me
6:39
that opportunity.
6:42
How's it been building chemistry sort of
6:43
getting a little later? you know, uh,
6:46
building chemistry wise, I'll just say,
6:47
you know, just just competing every day,
6:49
showing up in a weight room, showing up
6:50
in conditioning, you know, the little
6:52
talks in the locker room, they matter.
6:53
You know, just little things driving up
6:55
here, it was a 2-hour drive from Chapel
6:57
Hill to Charlotte, just talking in a lot
6:58
like talking in the car. Just little
7:00
things like that just build chemistry
7:01
and just not taking advantage of every
7:03
opportunity I can.
7:04
GR30 answered this, but how are you
7:06
hoping to make this team your own this
7:08
coming season?
7:09
For me to make this team my own is to
7:10
just, you know, show up every day and be
7:12
a competitor. I mean, I feel like the
7:13
best the best leader is a leader that
7:15
does things the right way and that's how
7:16
I try to, you know, do everything I do
7:18
and I just lead the team in every way I
7:20
can. So, that's how I try to do it.
7:22
With so much change, what are you hoping
7:23
the team's identity will be this year?
7:25
You know, we talk about it all the time.
7:27
You probably heard it a couple times,
7:28
but tough, smart, and dependable is
7:29
where we want to be. And Coach Bich
7:30
always says that in every meeting. It's
7:32
on the walls everywhere in our building.
7:34
So, just if if we can be tough, smart,
7:35
and dependable, we can win a lot of ball
7:36
games.
7:37
Gene, what's the difference between
7:38
Coach Apple and Coach?
7:41
Uh the difference I say between coach
7:42
and coach Bichc I mean of course you
7:44
know with coach Bichc it comes his
7:46
resume everything he's done and you know
7:48
he was you know it speaks for itself you
7:49
know I feel like you can go up on Google
7:51
and search up how great coach coach
7:52
Bichc is but when it comes to coach
7:54
Apple white I mean it's two different
7:55
coaching styles but they both demand a
7:57
lot of greatness out of you expect the
7:58
best out of you and coach Apple I would
8:00
say was you know him playing quarterback
8:02
I was able to talk to him more about
8:04
some stuff but when it comes to coach
8:05
coach mech I mean it's literally
8:07
whatever he says feels like the you know
8:08
football bible so anything you hear from
8:10
him you're just like, "Okay, awesome. I
8:11
would love to learn from you."
8:13
What is your sense of trying to learn
8:15
the playbook in a condensed amount of
8:18
time? Like, is there an urgency? Are you
8:21
doing maybe stuff you wouldn't normally
8:23
have done like cram session type stuff?
8:26
Uh, you know, when it comes to learning
8:27
a playbook, I feel like one thing that
8:29
is a little overlooked is um once you
8:30
learn once you learn a playbook, a lot
8:32
of stuff kind of translates. Of course,
8:33
there's different terminology, there's
8:34
different ways to execute plays, but at
8:36
the end of the day, like there's only so
8:37
many ways you can run post crosser.
8:39
There's only so many ways you can run.
8:40
You can run, you know, Crash or Smash,
8:42
stuff like that. So, with that, you
8:44
know, you just start to learn those
8:45
concepts. And I'm a big flash card guy.
8:47
Like, they give us iPads. We didn't get
8:49
that software available. They got iPads.
8:50
You can look through. I was looking at
8:51
iPad. I look at all that. But, I'm a big
8:53
uh note card guy. Just writing the name
8:55
on the front, flipping on the back, just
8:56
kind of testing myself just as much as I
8:58
can.
8:58
So, doing that on your own and
9:00
just every just every day just going
9:02
through the cards.
9:03
You didn't have the iPads at South
9:04
Alabama?
9:04
No, we didn't have iPads. I didn't come
9:05
to the building to watch film. G. Can
9:08
you talk a little bit about how racing
9:09
is that an impact? I know your dad was a
9:11
true racing kid. And then I know you
9:14
said you wanted to be in a favor maybe
9:15
one day. Can you talk a little bit about
9:17
that?
9:18
Yeah. So my dad, you know, growing up
9:19
with a, you know, he he's a car salesman
9:20
was my uh my hero in my world. But uh he
9:23
was a drag race. He still does drag
9:24
races. And for me like just, you know,
9:26
it's it's it's a quick thing. You know,
9:28
you're running five, you got to run, you
9:29
know, quarter mile in 5 and 1/2 seconds.
9:31
You got to be you got to be quick off
9:33
the line. You got to be quick in your in
9:34
your button press. you got to be quick
9:35
in all these things and it just shows
9:37
you like there's such little details
9:38
that you got to pay attention to small
9:40
mistakes you can't make. So for me
9:42
watching growing up watching my dad do
9:43
all those things and I was four-wheeling
9:45
and and you know jet skiing my whole
9:47
life but extreme sports I guess and now
9:49
that sense it's when you put a football
9:50
helmet on I guess it kind of translates
9:52
like this isn't that scary compared to
9:54
falling off of a motorcycle or stuff
9:55
like that.
9:56
And did you start out as a wide receiver
9:58
in high school or you talk about a
10:00
little bit about that about the the
10:01
transition? So, I was a wide out my
10:04
freshman year. Uh, played one year at
10:06
wide out, then went to quarterback, but
10:08
it was, you know, just experience as a
10:09
whole. You know, I just didn't take it
10:10
for granted. You know, of course, I
10:11
wanted to play quarterback, but I mean,
10:13
just being out there on the varsity
10:14
level as a 14year-old was was good. Was
10:17
great to learn from.
10:18
Gio, the player on the podium behind me
10:20
is Jordan Ship. What do fans expect from
10:22
him this season?
10:23
Uh, I think you can expect a lot out of
10:24
Jordan Ship and our whole wide receiver
10:26
core, but Ship's a great player that
10:27
loves to compete and I mean, he's a hard
10:28
worker, one of the hardest workers I
10:30
met. So Jordan ship as a whole is just a
10:32
great player and even even better
10:34
person. So I think he's going to be a
10:35
great player for us this year.
10:36
Great to see fans that you know that
10:38
went after all school. What do you kind
10:40
of see as strong teams from your table?
10:44
You know I feel like I bring a lot to
10:45
the table as a as a competitor and as a
10:47
player. I mean I feel like I make a lot
10:48
of plays. I'm I'm fun to watch. I would
10:50
say that. But also just you know just
10:52
making plays off script. You know when
10:53
they when they bring pressure that we
10:54
weren't expecting or when a play goes
10:56
wrong. I feel like I have a good way of
10:57
making the best out of every play. Now
10:59
you uh uh you know obviously cops a lot
11:03
in South
11:08
conference in a new school or do you
11:09
feel like no I I know how good I've
11:13
looked before. Of course, you know, you
11:14
want to prove yourself in every
11:15
situation you have opportunity to, but
11:17
for me, there's not just trying to not
11:19
get the big eyes or the or the me the me
11:21
that's like self self uh you know,
11:23
things like for me, I'm thinking team.
11:25
So, I don't need to prove myself as long
11:26
as I need to. All I can prove is if you
11:28
put a W in the columns, then I'm fine
11:30
with that. That's all that matters to
11:31
me.
11:32
J, when you were talking earlier about
11:34
Freddy showing you guys like what the
11:36
offense looks like through NFL like
11:39
flips, like who does he show you? What
11:41
do you guys watch? So, of course, you
11:43
know, we got Tom Brady Cliffs, of
11:44
course, we got all those in the world,
11:46
but you know, I got to watch some Carson
11:47
Palmer when he was with Arizona. I got
11:48
to watch Baker Mayfield with the Browns.
11:50
Just watching all these guys execute the
11:52
offense, Kobe Brassette, Matt Castle,
11:53
Cam Newton, just all these guys, you
11:55
know, you just learn from all of them.
11:56
Yes. They're all very different players,
11:58
have very different careers, but all of
11:59
them made it to the NFL, and that's more
12:01
than I've done. So, like just the
12:02
opportunity to watch those clips and how
12:04
they, you know, executed the play has
12:05
been awesome.
12:06
Do you have to imagine these guys as
12:07
left-handed dudes? Uh for I never had a
12:09
problem. Of course, growing up there not
12:10
a lot of lefty quarterbacks. So I've
12:12
always just watched righty quarterbacks
12:13
and I'm like, "All right, that's that's
12:14
me just opposite." So like it's never
12:16
really been a problem.
12:16
Is that way going to be a consistent
12:20
running threat against hitting the
12:22
beating and absorbing big hits? And what
12:24
have coaches told you anything about
12:26
that?
12:26
Uh the co I mean last year I think I
12:28
slipped maybe twice all season. So for
12:30
me I did get a talk like hey like we got
12:33
to protect our bodies a little more and
12:34
it just comes from a competitive
12:35
standpoint. I just like to, you know,
12:37
hey, if I got five yards, why not go get
12:39
six? So, like for me, that's that that
12:41
mindset's had to change a little bit. Of
12:43
course, third down and short, like if I
12:44
got to go get it, I'm going to go get
12:45
it. But just the standpoint of not
12:46
taking as many hits has been a big thing
12:48
for me in the conversation. Just keeping
12:50
my body healthy and making sure try to
12:51
stay upright.
12:52
What was it like to get your most like
12:54
college game?
12:55
Growing up, I was a big I was really big
12:57
into older tapes like Randall
12:58
Cunningham, like John Elway. I love
13:01
Brett Favre growing up. Uh, I watch a
13:02
lot of college like Trayvon Boykins was
13:04
a great player, you know, watching him,
13:06
Gino Smith in college, even him in the
13:08
NFL, just Pat White, just all these
13:10
guys. I love watching tape of, you know,
13:12
guys that just been successful. I don't
13:13
care where if you were successful,
13:15
smaller school, bigger school, just if
13:16
you were successful, I would love to
13:17
learn from you. So, just never having
13:18
too big of an ego to learn from anybody.
13:20
So, I mean, just every I've watched a
13:22
lot of tape. See the advantage being a
13:24
left-handed quarterback.
13:25
Advantage I would say uh some advantages
13:27
may be you know just defensively the way
13:29
you scheme against me might be
13:30
completely has to flip how you scheme
13:32
like okay if you want to bring pressure
13:33
from the right side to make the
13:34
quarterback roll out left cuz he's
13:36
right-handed. If you bring pressure from
13:37
the right side I'm rolling out to my
13:38
strong hand. So you got to flip your
13:39
pressures or stuff like that maybe be a
13:41
difference for you.
13:43
Process Mike being by
13:46
uh the recruiting process is pretty
13:47
simple honestly. I mean, it's one of
13:48
those situations that you get all you
13:50
coach brother hits you about coming to
13:52
the school that he's coaching at. You
13:53
really don't think twice. You're like,
13:55
"All right, like it's great to say coach
13:56
all the time. I'll take this deal."
13:58
Does he make a sales pitch saying, you
13:59
know, "Hey, I'm doing it in the NFL. I
14:00
can help you." Or is he or he's not
14:02
supposed to make a sales pitch?
14:03
Uh, there's not much of a sales pitch, I
14:05
feel. I mean, I mean, the work speaks
14:06
for itself, of course, but you know, he
14:08
just kind of told me to come in and
14:09
compete and I was like, I'm more than
14:10
thankful to be able to do that. Was
14:12
there certain expectations maybe you had
14:13
about it be like around Bill
14:17
and now that you've been dealing with
14:19
him and is the difference or not?
14:21
Of course coming into it you can never
14:22
picture what it's like to coach like
14:24
coach Bich but once you get there you
14:26
understand he's a very personable person
14:28
wants to teach and wants to make you be
14:30
the best version of yourself. So
14:31
honestly anything he says you just learn
14:33
from and you just take it full on and go
14:35
after it. A lot of former players have
14:37
been surprised by his sense of humor and
14:39
the jokes sometimes in meetings. What
14:41
has that been like for you to see?
14:42
For me, you know, a lot of people have
14:43
this persona that he's a, you know,
14:45
hardnosed, won't talk to you guy, but
14:47
he's honestly a funny dude. We'll be
14:49
watching film together, he'll make a
14:50
joke and you're like, you laugh a little
14:52
bit, then you laugh a lot harder cuz
14:53
you're like, "Wow, Quint Villa Chick
14:54
said that." Like, you don't even think
14:55
he'll say something like that. Just of
14:56
course there's funny jokes that he says
14:58
that you just don't think about and he's
14:59
just are honestly really easy to talk to
15:01
and wants you to be the best version of
15:02
yourself. He just teaches you a lot.
15:04
Does he do a lot of uh talk about you
15:05
know well this is how we did in the NFL
15:11
in the NFL or a lot of NFL stories to
15:13
explain what he's trying to get across.
15:15
Of course he has a lot of NFL stories. I
15:16
mean when you coach that long you of
15:18
course you're going to have them but
15:19
he's honestly very uh he's very
15:21
understanding of like everyone's game is
15:22
a little bit different. Of course like
15:23
okay Tom Brady you know did this play
15:25
like this. I'm going to do it a little
15:27
differently. Of course I mean I play a
15:28
lot different than Tom Brady. So like
15:30
for me just him being understanding of
15:32
everyone plays a little bit different.
15:33
When he told when me and him talked he
15:34
was like look I coach a lot of
15:35
quarterbacks. I'm not expecting to be
15:36
Tom Brady. I'm expecting you to be Gio
15:38
Lopez. That was very
15:40
I think I got in there in May.
15:42
What day do you remember?
15:44
Um I want to say whenever I couldn't go
15:47
until officially I was done with school
15:49
at South. So whenever that day I think I
15:50
got I went there like 2 days later.
15:52
What are you working on this offseason
15:53
to make it better for yourself? Uh, for
15:56
me, uh, I know for me personally, just I
15:59
had to work mid-season I was getting out
16:00
the pocket a little too fast. I feel
16:02
like I cleaned that up towards the back
16:03
end of the season, but right now I'm
16:04
just working on, you know, having better
16:06
footwork and just being under center a
16:07
little more and, you know, just going
16:09
through my reads. I feel like I've
16:10
gotten better at, but honestly, just
16:12
just overall mechanics. I mean, you can
16:13
never get too too much mechanics.
16:16
People neighbor from North Carolina is
16:18
going to help this. So, he'll be running
16:20
the the press conference. So, over here,
16:22
just make sure
16:27
kind of that point. What's it like going
16:29
from, you know, the Sunb Belt from South
16:31
to a school that's in the spotlight the
16:33
way obviously Carolina's going to be?
16:34
Uh, you know, just just taking all my
16:36
reps and experience I have from South
16:37
and taking it to, you know, the ACC. I
16:40
mean, there's great teams of course in
16:42
the ACC, but other than the Sun Belt,
16:44
there's a lot of great players that
16:45
honestly left and went to, you know,
16:47
bigger programs and being able to
16:48
compete at a higher level. So, I think
16:50
it just goes to show that the Sun Belt
16:51
was also was is a great, you know, a
16:53
great conference and it also has a bunch
16:55
of talent in there. So, I don't feel
16:56
too, you know, like of a difference.
16:58
Is it dealing with the spotlight just
17:00
having so much attention on the program
17:01
like it does?
17:02
Uh, you know, at first it was a little,
17:04
you know, like to me like, of course,
17:05
like just little things, you know, you
17:06
don't think about like I'll make a I'll
17:08
make a post on Instagram, I'll get like
17:10
1,000 likes. Okay, cool. You know, it's
17:11
okay. And now it's like, okay, like I
17:13
committed to UNCC and I got 40,000 likes
17:15
and I'm getting all these followers. I'm
17:16
like, oh, okay, this is a lot. And but
17:18
it's honestly just, you know, it's a
17:19
blessing even being in this situation.
17:21
So I just take it all with, you know,
17:22
just thankful and just talk to my
17:24
anytime I feel a little, you know,
17:25
overwhelmed, I just talk to my sister
17:26
and my sister's always super helpful for
17:28
me.
17:28
So you haven't felt like there's a time
17:30
crunch in terms of, you know, being
17:33
ready to go August 2nd, whatever
17:37
well fall camp. Yeah. But September 1st,
17:39
our first game, I mean, of course, I
17:40
mean, of course, there's a little bit of
17:41
time. I love that I've been there for
17:42
the spring, of course, but at the end of
17:43
the day, I mean, this is the situation I
17:45
got dealt. who am I to, you know,
17:46
question it or like find toughness in
17:48
it? At the end of day, it's a blessing
17:49
to even be here. So, for me, I'm just
17:51
like, you know, it's a blessing to take
17:52
on this opportunity. It's a blessing to
17:53
take on this battle. So, why not would I
17:55
attack it with my best foot forward?
17:57
How much how much more do you have to
17:58
learn?
17:59
Uh, honestly, I pretty much say like the
18:01
play playbook wise when it comes to all
18:03
the concepts or like the run game or the
18:05
protections. I know all of it. So, I
18:07
pretty much learned everything. I guess
18:08
like it's it's one thing to learn
18:10
something, but it's another thing to
18:11
master. for me like just understanding
18:13
okay of course when I show this flash
18:15
card and I flip it over and I know
18:16
what's on the back of it that's cool but
18:18
can I go out on the field and not have a
18:20
flash card in front of me can I go and
18:21
execute it like that so when we have
18:22
player le practices it's been super
18:24
important for me to be able to visualize
18:25
all of that and we I've been I feel
18:27
really good about it so far
18:28
yeah when you've been doing it against
18:29
the air you mean yeah
18:30
this is more of an NFL offense what does
18:32
that mean as far as formations how the
18:34
tight end is used and run pass ratio and
18:37
how's that different from what you had
18:39
so far
18:39
I feel like for me I I mean, honestly,
18:41
my tight end at South Alabama was with
18:42
the Steelers right now. So, we used the
18:44
tight end a bunch, but for me, like it's
18:46
a little more the run the the tight
18:48
end's a lot more involved in this
18:50
offense. Back at South, like we were
18:51
more involved with our slot receiver,
18:53
but the tight end does play a big part
18:54
in this offense. And just, you know,
18:55
from the NFL comparison standpoint, I
18:57
mean, I when it comes to formations,
18:59
like we were a lot more, you know, we
19:00
were a lot more three receiver, one
19:02
tight end. But here, it's a, you know,
19:03
you get a little more two on like two
19:04
receiver, two tight end, and stuff like
19:05
that. So, it's a difference, but at the
19:07
end of the day, I mean, all of them are
19:08
eligible receivers, so they're open. on
19:10
the call.
19:10
What's your sense on talking to you?
19:12
Appreciate the time, sir. Thank you.
19:13
What's your sense on the run pass ratio
19:16
that will be?
19:17
Uh, personally, I don't have any ratio.
19:19
I mean, my ratio right now, I was
19:21
worried about winning games. So,
19:22
whatever ratio it takes, I'm down to,
19:24
you know, be able to, you know, hand the
19:25
ball off if I need to do that. If I need
19:26
to throw the ball 50 times a game, I'm
19:27
okay with that. Whatever it takes to
19:28
win.
19:29
This offensive line, it's it it
19:31
experience.
19:32
You don't know of the offensive line
19:33
before before at Carolina, but this
19:36
looks like the best offensive line that
19:38
they've had in a few years. What can you
19:40
what did you see from them?
19:41
You know, we have a lot of experience
19:42
from the offensive line. We took a lot
19:43
of talent in a portal as well. And just
19:45
like, you know, it's one thing to have,
19:46
you know, a fiveman rotation, right? You
19:48
play five linemen at a at a time, but to
19:51
have a sixth or a seventh or eightman
19:52
rotation. I feel like we have a lot of
19:54
pieces that can roll. Okay, let's say a
19:55
guard's tired for a bit. We can roll
19:57
another guy in and be able to still
19:58
operate a high level. And it's it's a
20:00
really it's a really good thing to have
20:01
on your offense when you have a lot of
20:02
talent and all on
20:03
you can be more of a pocket passer with
20:05
that kind of line. you know, uh, I feel
20:07
like my my team at South did a great job
20:08
with me being a pocket passer as well,
20:09
but I feel like, you know, just having
20:10
an O line that has a lot of experience
20:12
and understanding, it's one thing, you
20:14
know, for me to be a pocket passer, but
20:15
for them to be able to communicate stuff
20:16
is a really big thing as well. Like when
20:18
they talk to me like, "Hey, this rusher
20:19
is rushing high, so don't be be expected
20:21
to move more up in the pocket. Hey, he's
20:22
an inside rusher, so be expected to have
20:24
more of a left or right movement." Just
20:26
stuff like that. You get the little
20:27
things when you have a more experienced
20:28
line that can talk to you.
20:29
What about your game do you feel is
20:31
undervalued?
20:33
Uh, I feel like undervalued. I would say
20:35
I take care of the ball. You know, you
20:38
know, it's funny to say that my last
20:39
game I had three turnovers, right? But
20:41
going into that game only had two picks
20:43
on the year and I threw two picks. I had
20:45
a fumble at the end of the season. But
20:46
overall, I feel like I take care of the
20:48
take care of the ball and I don't put
20:49
our offense in bad situations and I'm
20:51
smart with the ball. I don't force a lot
20:52
of stuff. Of course, you got times you
20:53
got to be, you know, take a risk and
20:55
throw a ball into a tight window, but at
20:56
the end of the day, I don't feel like I
20:57
put the ball in jeopardy. You
20:59
talk about taking care of the ball. What
21:00
made that such a big part of your game?
21:02
Now, have you adjusted to that going to
21:03
the power five level? That's you still
21:05
feel is a really strong part of your
21:06
game.
21:06
Yeah, I feel like it's a huge part of my
21:07
game. I say what developed me was even
21:09
in high school. I didn't I wasn't really
21:10
a turnover guy. I only had two picks my
21:12
junior f like for my senior. But for me,
21:15
a big thing was coach Apple was another
21:17
person. I was like, hey, like the best
21:18
thing you can do on offense is take care
21:20
of the ball. At the end of the day, like
21:21
let's say you don't like we don't get a
21:23
first down, but at least when you punt
21:24
the ball, our punter's punting at 30 or
21:25
40 yards the other way. Like it's all
21:27
everything is a is a is a you know,
21:29
field position battle. And that's what
21:30
kind of coach Aquite taught me. And
21:32
okay, well, if everything's a field
21:33
position battle, why would I not want to
21:34
be smart with the ball and not, you
21:35
know, put the ball in jeopardy? If I
21:36
cannot put the ball in jeopardy, then
21:38
90% of the time you're going to you're
21:39
going to play better and have a better
21:41
chance of winning the game.
21:43
Joe, uh, so Bich coming in with his
21:46
caliber. How how has it been with him
21:48
leading your team? And does he have any
21:50
like funny like oneliners or anything
21:52
like that?
21:52
Uh, you know, it's been awesome learning
21:54
from coach Bichc. I mean, it's one of
21:55
those situations where he walks in, you
21:57
can hear a pen drop, but everyone's
21:58
like, it's not in a it's not in a scary
22:00
way. It's more in a sense of like, okay,
22:01
like when he's in here, you better
22:02
listen cuz you're about to hear some
22:04
great knowledge that you can apply to
22:05
your game. And, you know, oneliners, I
22:07
mean, probably the same things y'all
22:09
have heard, you know, over the years
22:10
with the Patriots and stuff like that.
22:11
You know, he's got some stuff he says,
22:12
but overall, he's just been, you know, a
22:14
great person to learn from.
22:15
Gio, you mentioned uh using flashcards
22:17
for the playbook. was
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