CHAPEL HILL - Austin Blaske was a member of the Georgia football program for four seasons from 2020-2023, winning two National Championships and becoming unaccustomed to the feeling of defeat. In fact, the Bulldogs were a perfect 15-0 in games in which Blaske saw playing time, including 7-0 in SEC contests.
During his time in Athens, Georgia only lost four games, something UNC has accomplished over the last month alone.
To find the last time Blaske experienced consecutive losses, you have to go back to 2016, his freshman season at South Effingham High School in Georgia. He credits that time for helping him deal with that environment, but also believes he’s capable of dealing with losses despite their rare occurrences.
Although the losses did not come often, they were oftentimes more devastating, such as losing to Alabama in the SEC Championship in 2023 to miss the College Football Playoff.
“Even at Georgia, we didn’t lose a lot of games, but that doesn’t mean I don't know how to handle losses. It’s just a part of my life, not even football,” said Blaske. “Just going through stuff during your life, it teaches you how to deal with losses, also on the football field too.”
Getting on the field was the catalyst for Blaske’s entrance into the transfer portal following the 2023 campaign, as he played just 158 snaps across three seasons with the Bulldogs. His career-high of 17 snaps in Athens came in a 2022 win against South Carolina.
While losing was foreign for Blaske, in many ways, so was playing time, making the transition to UNC a big adjustment. Blaske’s already surpassed his career-high in snaps through six games played, logging 398 snaps, including a career-high 86 against James Madison.
For all intents and purposes, he’s exceeding expectations at the season’s midway point, accruing a PFF grade of 71.1, while allowing just on hurry and zero sacks.
Becoming a starter for the Tar Heels, particularly at center, has still come with a learning curve, no matter how many seasons he’s spent at the collegiate level.
“There’s been ups and downs. I’ve had good games, I’ve had okay games, I’ve had one bad game,” said Blaske. “It’s been awesome as my first year as a starter you know, just being around the guys, going out there and battling with them, there’s nothing more you can ask for then going out there and laying it on the line with guys every week, in and out.”
Blaske cited the Duke game as his worst performance of the season, although nursing a nagging ankle injury. Even at 22, he’s learning on the fly, each rep becoming another lesson.
While playing time on the field comes with its own set of challenges, so does the preparation off of it.
“I’ll definitely say finding that routine [has been an adjustment] because obviously at Georgia like I said, I didn’t really play a lot from week to week [and now I’m] getting up to 80 snaps a game,” said Blaske. “Finding that routine of treatment, nutrition, and hydration has been the key thing for me. I found that routine pretty quick after week two, finding out what I need to do to keep my body healthy.”
Blaske figures to hold down the center position for the Tar Heels for the season’s final five games and, in 2025, his final year of eligibility. With the impending departure of guard Willie Lampkin, Blaske is set to be the most experienced offensive lineman next season.
And while he may have spent a majority of his career at Georgia, and even considered going to Georgia Tech instead of UNC out of the transfer portal, make no mistake about it, he’s a Tar Heel.
“I love Carolina,” said Blaske. “As long as I’m here, I’m going to bleed Carolina blue.”
