Optimism surrounds UNC football as team holds first media session of regular season

As Larry Fedora approached the assorted gaggle of media members on a cloudy Wednesday afternoon, a smile planted on his face, he extended his arms chest-high.

The action was light-hearted and amusing, but the message was clear: Do not stand too close to the field while his players are still on the field running. As the head coach continued to walk toward the press representatives, his arms stayed extended and the crowd backed up with as much obedience as any one of his players would have.

Everyone involved laughed. Just like that, media availability was underway for the first time since the completion of training camp, which ended on Sunday night at 9:30 as the team trotted out of its last meeting. As Fedora, and later some of his players, met with the assembled reporters, there was an unmistakable mood in the air — one of optimism.

“I think our guys are doing a great job of preparing themselves,” Fedora said. “This was really our first day of installation for Cal. Split the teams up, started working against what we’re going to see. I think the guys are doing a great job of preparing. So we’ll see as we go through, we have a mock game this Saturday, so that will give us a lot of ideas of where we are.”

Defensively, Fedora sang the praises of his linebacking group, a unit led by senior Cole Holcomb. But when discussing his personnel at the position, the coach did not mention Holcomb, instead focusing on some lesser-known players who have raised some eyebrows this fall.

“Well Jon (Jonathan) Smith is doing a great job,” Fedora said. “He picked up right where he left off in spring. He’s done a really good job ,and then Dominique Ross had reps and now he’s getting more reps, and so he’s doing a good job. The younger guys we’re bringing along as we go. Matt (Matthew) Flint and (Jeremiah) Gemmel have stepped up and made a bunch of plays, so he’s a guy that’s going to factor in.”

Smith, a junior, posted 40 tackles last season, the seventh-best mark on the roster. Of the other three players, only Ross recorded a tackle (he had seven). Flint is a true first-year and Gemmel redshirted the 2017 season, his first with the team.

Fedora also spoke positively about J.K. Britt, the hard-hitting senior safety who started the team’s last six games of 2017.

"He’s got a lot of experience and he’s really comfortable now," Fedora said. "Because he’s been here for a long time, he’s one of the oldest guys back there. He’s played a lot of meaningful reps over time but now, he’s one of the guys now and I can tell you in both of our scrimmages, he’s made a lot of plays.”

On offense, the wide receiver group dominated much of the talk. As usual, Fedora mentioned the play of talented junior Anthony Ratliff-Williams, but he was not the only receiver who has encouraged the coach following the completion of fall camp.

The coach spoke highly of Dazz Newsome, who is expected to blossom this year after making 18 catches for 227 yards as a true first-year after making a position switch from cornerback. Fedora also noted the progress shown from Beau Corrales, who as a first-year appeared in nine games and managed 143 yards through the air.

“Beau Corrales has had a great camp. I mean, he really has,” Fedora said. “That guy has come a long way since his freshman year.”

But perhaps the most telling sign of the optimism that seemed to linger at Kenan Stadium came from the mouth of Nick Polino, the team’s starting left guard. 

“It’s night and day, our team from last year to this year,” Polino said. “That experience last year was brutal for us, I mean, going 3-9, all the injuries, all that stuff. But we got a lot of young guys that had to play a lot of snaps that they probably normally wouldn’t have and got that real game experience, which has been really invaluable to our team. So, I mean, it’s huge; we’re a completely different team, just through spring, throughout summer, throughout fall camp. The mentality of all the guys, the ability of all the guys and the mental awareness has just been huge.”

Fans won’t have much longer to wait and see if the proclamations from the team are valid, as UNC takes on California on Sept. 1 in Berkeley. 

But based on the buzzing excitement surrounding Kenan Stadium at the conclusion of media availability, the team is ready to turn the page and begin a fresh chapter.

@christrenkle2

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