CHAPEL HILL – Leaving a year early for the NFL never crossed Bryson Nesbit’s mind last winter. Being a Tar Heel for another season, healing, and playing the best football of his life were the focuses.
The North Carolina tight end met with a few members of the media following North Carolina’s practice Tuesday night, its second of fall camp. A senior, Nesbit, who is 6-foot-5 and 235 pounds, will be one of the focal points in Carolina’s offense this season.
UNC Coach Mack Brown said Nesbit, along with All-America running back Omarion Hampton, are the team’s playmakers and must get the majority of the touches.
Some Nesbit numbers:
*2023: 500 snaps; 41 receptions; 585 yards; 5 TDs; PFF 72.3
*Career: 950 snaps; 83 receptions; 1,246 yards; 10 TDs; PFFs 78.0 & 75.0 as well.
Among the things Nesbit discussed Tuesday are:
*His injury (right lateral meniscus) last season against Campbell, how it affected him, and the slow recovery in returning to full strength.
---He had surgery before the bowl game and spent several months “rehabbing the knee and everything around it, getting hyrdo works. We’ve got some of the best physical trainers here. Just getting in the rooms with them and using their plans to get where I’m feeling 100%.”
*Why he wasn’t interested in heading to the NFL, where he would have been a certain draft pick.
“I’m a Carolina guy, I’m here to stay. I had some decisions to make, (but) I decided Carolina born, Carolina bread.”
---Nesbit also noted that since he didn’t start playing football in high school until his junior year, he felt he needed another year at this level before taking the next step into the league.
*Some other schools did try to poach him from UNC? He was never contacted directly, but his high school coach was. But nothing interested him. He was at UNC and not going anywhere.
*Nesbit believes Carolina’s offensive line will be better this season. Why?
“Even though we lost some guys, we had a core stay together; second or third year of the same schemes. Just out there seeing them today, I feel like the offensive line’s a lot more cohesive and really working together a lot better.”
*As a tight end and focal point of the offense, Nesbit has had plenty of reps with Conner Harrell and Max Johnson, who are battling it out for the starting quarterback job. His thoughts on them:
“(Max) Johnson has had some SEC playing time and done some great things in the SEC. Conner’s proving himself every day here. I think we’re going to have a fun little battle here in training camp and see how it goes.”
