CHAPEL HILL – When Beau Atkinson arrived at North Carolina, his mission was to add good weight, strength, and acclimate to the world of major college football.
A native of nearby Raleigh, Atkinson used the 2022 season as a redshirt year quietly getting ready to launch last fall. He did.
The 6-foot-6, 265-pound defensive end 229 snaps registering 19 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, and 3.5 sacks, which was third on the team, even though Atkinson averaged just 17.6 snaps per contest.
As his redshirt sophomore season fast approaches, Atkinson appears primed to burst at the seams. He’s in peak physical shape, had an offseason to shore up areas in need, and has clearly reached dude status within the walls over UNC’s program.
So, what is the next phase in Atkinson’s Carolina football story?
“Coach (Brian) Hess and all of our strength coaches have done a really good job,” Atkinson said Saturday following the #TarHeels’ fifth practice of fall camp. “I’ve been mostly trying to focus on mobility, because that’s probably where I’m weaker at. But trying to get really explosive and faster. And I feel like that’s shown a lot (of late).”
Atkinson’s improved spark off the snap has been noticed. The team does speed testing every Tuesday, exploding for ten yards at a time.
“The coaches can see that…,” he said. “And I feel a lot more equipped to play right now.”
Atkinson was also asked about new defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, the new attack mindset of the unit, his roommates, how much better Des Evans is with his last year on tap, new defensive lineman Joshua Harris, Amare Campbell, and more.
Below are some of those notes and quotes, beginning with Atkinson’s stats from last season:
*2023 stats: 229 snaps; 19 tackles; 4.5 TFLs; 3.5 sacks; 7 hurries; 15 STOPs; 1 forced fumble; PFF of 73.8.
*Imagine this house: Atkinson, quarterback Conner Harrell, linebacker Cade Law, and safety Will Hardy. And with it, there are stories:
“They’re all great people. We don’t really have that many crazy; it would take a long time to say the funny ones. We do little group Bible study each night trying to keep our heads locked in. That’s probably one thing I’d say about those boys.”
And…
“The cleanest? Hmmm, Will’s definitely cleanest for sure. Messiest has got to be Cade. I feel like me and Conner are a little in the middle. We can get a little messy, but we’ll clean it up. Will’s a robot, so he’s always on top of all his stuff.”
So, with three defensive guys and a QB in the house, if Conner is heading to the fridge to take the last of something, do the defensive guys blitz him so they can grab that snack instead?
“Yeah, maybe a little bit, but I usually let him get it.”
*Now, imagine both Des Evans being on the field at the same time, then add Kaimon Rucker also being out there, perhaps at an inside linebacker spot. The team’s three best pass rushers unleashed:
“That would be scary. I think hopefully we can do that some this year. I think that’ll be exciting, and a pretty scary pass rush look. That’d be exciting.”
*Atkinson has tremendous respect for Gene Chizik, and it’s clear he likes his former coordinator. But he’s clearly excited about the mentality Geoff Collins has brought to that side of the ball.
“I think more so he’s just letting us go. Not that it’s like a scheme thing or anything, just the mentality behind the scheme is more so why I feel like it’s a lot different. The scheme is definitely different, but being able to play with that kind of mentality where you’re trying to attack all the time, and you don’t have to hold back ever is pretty cool.”
