North Carolina UNC Tar Heels football ACC Kickoff Drake Maye Cedric Gray John Copenhaver Heisman NFL leadership

CHARLOTTE – The annual ACC Kickoff concluded Thursday at The Westin, but not before North Carolina Coach Mack Brown and three Tar Heels met with the media in a variety of capacities.

The three-day event is a celebration of the league’s football, which has a chance at being better this fall than in the last few seasons, and was also a chance for media outside of the contingent that covers UNC to get a gauge on the Tar Heels.

Quarterback Drake Maye was a popular attraction, as the Heisman Trophy hopeful and possible top pick in next year’s NFL Draft answered myriad questions about his game and those honors. He also spoke about the team having louder voices this offseason, meaning it has more and better leaders than two years ago when the Heels started the season ranked No. 10 in the nation but fell on its face in the opener at Virginia Tech and never recovered.

Linebacker Cedric Gray was asked plenty of questions about how the defense didn’t perform to a satisfactory level a year ago, and John Copenhaver got the least amount of attention of the three, but still had some interesting things to say.

Then, of course, there is Brown, the Hall of Famer who will be 72 when the Tar Heels face South Carolina back here in the Queen City to open the season on September 2. Brown spoke about that, ESPN GameDay being on hand, and the primetime ABC broadcast of the game. Brown is a master at milking things like that, and did so today.

Here are some more items of interest from today:

*Brown was concerned last season about what would happen if either of his starting inside linebackers got hurt or ejected because of a targeting call. Gray and Power Echols combined for more than 1,700 snaps, in part because there just wasn’t any depth behind them. Gray says there is more now, and he’s excited about some of the freshmen that came in the winter and summer.

“Guys have adjusted and understand how we operate,” he first said about second-year players Sebastian Cheeks and Deuce Caldwell. “I think we’re talented, and they’re talented and bring something to the table, which I why we brought them here.

“I think we have a great freshman class, the linebackers in particular. Amare Campbell and Michael Short were really good during the spring. Caleb Lavallee just got here in the summer; he’s been working out. He’s looking good in workouts and things like that.”

A source close to the situation recently told THI that Campbell has a very good shot at getting on the field this fall in competitive game situations.

*Gray’s locks haven’t been the most notorious ones on UNC’s campus in recent years, as that honor has long gone to basketball player Armando Bacot. But, Gray’s hair had pretty much become a thing. Those who cover him certainly can understand that.

So, when he showed up here at the ACC Kickoff with short hair, the core media that covers the Tar Heels did double takes. Did Ced really chop off his long hair? He sure did.

“I’ve kind of always had a low haircut my whole life, and I got to college and wanted something different so I grew hair,” he said, laughing. “I always said I was going to cut it again and just ended up cutting it. I got tired of the dreads and got tired of always having to take care of them.”

Sometimes, athletes do something like cutting their hair and there’s a meaning behind it. Not with Gray.

“I don’t think there’s any deeper meaning,” he said. “I could sit up here and be like, ‘I’m trying to be better and change my life around,’ but nah.”

*Naturally, Maye got questions about NC State because of what he said last season. But, he also got a generic question about the rivalry, even though the teams don’t face each other for another four months. Yet, Maye delivered an answer that likely won’t make the locker room wall in Raleigh. He spoke just facts.

“Any time NC State and North Carolina go at it, it’s a rivalry,” Maye said. “I don’t think we like them, they don’t like us. They got us last year. I could have made some plays to make that a different story. But they’ve got a good team, they’ve got a good program, they’ve done a good job over there.”

*Maye is from Charlotte and will start a game in the Carolina Panthers’ stadium when the Heels and Gamecocks square off. So how many ticket requests has he gotten?

“Shoot, I’ve got probably 15 already,” Maye said. “That’s the thing you love about playing here in Charlotte; everybody wants to come. Old friends, old coaches around here wanna support. This city means so much to me. My brother lives about a block away and is down there working downtown. Charlotte’s a great place. It means a lot playing here.”

*If anyone would know if Maye has changed since he’s become one of the more famous college football players in the country, it would be tight end John Copenhaver. He’s tasked daily with blocking up from and catching passes for Maye. He knows him well, but also says Maye is Maye. No frills here.

“I think Drake has stayed the same as when he came in as a young freshman’ (he) came in early,” Copenhaver said. “I think he’s the same man he was two-and-a-half years ago. He doesn’t change. He’s a great man, and the best aspect about him is he’s competitive. Whether that’s playing ping pong in the players’ lounge, or playing pickle ball, he is out there to win, no matter what.

“That’s a good thing about the game. That’s what’s in him; the drive in him to win, and I don’t think he likes it any other way.”