Heel Tough Blog: Best Battles in Fall Camp

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As we get ready for the second day of fall practice in Chapel Hill, some fierce battles are underway for spots on the depth chart. Here’s a look at the top battles to monitor in camp.

Starting Quarterback

Easily the most important of the battles, the starting quarterback race seems to be down to two but is very real. According to practice reports, Max Johnson was the one taking the first reps in position drills in his return to full practice over South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez. The reason behind that move isn’t known, but it shows that this staff really does want to get a look at the former LSU and Texas A&M signal caller. It’s still hard to see them going with anyone but the guy that they brought with them to ACC Kickoff but I guess you never know.

Starting Offensive Line

The starting offensive line battles are going to be some of the more intriguing on the team. First and foremost, what is going to happen in the middle of the unit. Will Christo Kelly, who seemed to earn the trust of the staff back in the spring be able to earn the starting at center or will Austin Blaske slide back in there after spending the spring at right guard. Will Aidan Banfield be able to regain a starting spot after appearing to lose it to Daniel King back in the spring? What about the tackle spots: will Miles McVay and Trevyon Green be able to hold off Will O’Steen, the spring transfer from Louisiana from taking over one of their spots and where exactly will they be playing if they hold on to those jobs? So many questions that need to be answered over the next few weeks.

Starting Strong Safety

Kaleb Cost seems to the guy that many are penciling in here alongside Will Hardy, who appears to have free safety wrapped up. Like Bill Belichick said, though, everyone has to earn their spot and that includes Cost, who was torched last year in coverage out of the nickelback spot. If someone like Coleman Bryson, Malcolm Ziglar or Peyton Waters shows out here in the next few weeks, would it be enough to overtake Cost. It might just be.

Starting Kicker

Rece Verhoff seems to be a heavy favorite to win this starting job but nothing is guaranteed since he wasn’t with the team in the spring. True freshman Guytano Bartolomeo is the challenger, a late addition that the staff made in the 2025 class. With Verhoff’s experience, he should be able to come away with this job, but he has had some inconsistencies during his career so it’s not impossible to see Bartolomeo overtaking him if he has a big camp.

Third String Running Back

Davion Gause and Caleb Hood seem like a solid 1-2 at the position barring injury, but the competition for that third spot on the depth chart is going to be a fierce one. Michigan transfer Benjamin Hall is someone that a lot of people are looking at here because of his experience in a pro-style system at Michigan, but don’t sleep on true freshman Demon June Jr. who runs with the physical edge that this staff is looking for and shined in the final practice of the spring. Charleston French, a holdover from the previous staff, could also be a factor in this battle, as well.