Heel Tough Blog: Bill Belichick Press Conference Takeaways- 8/13

Inside Carolina

On Wednesday, Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick met with the media for the third time this fall to update them on the team's progress as they head into the tenth practice of camp. Here are our biggest takeaways from what he had to say.

Progressing But Definitely Not There Yet

This seems to be the main takeaway that many have had from the press conference, but the quote isn’t as bad as it may seem. Prior to saying that the team is “definitely not there yet but getting closer”, Belichick praised the way that the players have been working and said they are in good shape. On the surface, these comments may seem concerning but Wednesday was just the second day in pads so it is still early in the process. Belichick also has a really high standard as we learned during his time in the NFL, so they may never actually meet that prior to the season starting.

Evaluation Period Begins Now

With the pads going on, it’s time for the evaluation period to begin according to Belichick. Up to this point, the focus has been on learning and putting guys in multiple groups together to figure out what they have. With that behind them, attention turns to the evaluation of the room and who is trending in the right direction and who isn’t. That means the staff should be piecing together a depth chart here shortly, one that we will likely never see.

Running Back Room is Deep

When asked about replacing the talent of Omarion Hampton, this was where Belichick steered the conversation. Davion Gause is the guy expected to carry a lot of the load here, but this room does contain some really nice depth behind him that could factor in throughout the season. Caleb Hood has finally had a healthy camp and appears set to contribute the most that he has in his Tar Heel career. Rumors are saying that Michigan transfer Benjamin Hall is shining in camp, meaning that he, too, could be on his way to earning some meaningful reps this fall. Even true freshman Demon June Jr. can’t be counted out to factor in at some point this year after the spring that he had. This depth and talent in this room will likely be a big part of the success for this offense out of the gate as projected starting quarterback Gio Lopez settles into the new offensive system and the Power Conference level.