FAMU Week Players Report: Grimes, DJJ, Gray & Downs

CHAPEL HILL – Five North Carolina football players met with the media Tuesday evening at the Kenan Football Center to discuss their first game of the season coming up Saturday versus Florida A&M, Drake Maye being named quarterback, how their sides of the ball have progressed, and much, much more.

Tony Grimes, D.J. Jones, Cedric Gray, and Josh Downs joined Maye in fielding questions from the assembled media. All of our Maye coverage is in two other content items, so in this report the focus is on what the other four Tar Heels had to say.

So, below are the videos of their Q&A sessions along with some notes and pulled quotes from what they had to say:

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*Redshirt freshman Dontae Balfour will start along with Grimes at cornerback Saturday night. His name regularly came up during fall camp as one of the players that had made huge impressions on teammates from both sides of the ball. Grimes has high expectations for Balfour.

“Dontae is an exciting player to look out for for sure,” Grimes said. “He’s long, he’s a Florida kid, and our Florida kids here got that dawg in them, so he’s got that dawg in him. He’s going to shock the world for sure. He’s still young, but he’s talented. I’m very excited to see what he do this weekend.”

*Grimes is excited to get out and play a football game Saturday night, but with the Tar Heels employing a new defense and owning plenty of renewed enthusiasm and confidence, what about that is Grimes most looking forward to see from the guys on that side of the ball?

“I’m excited, I’m really excited,” Grimes said. “We’re definitely doing a lot of stuff from last year. More big plays from the secondary this year, so I’m definitely excited to see what we’re going to put on tape.”

The tape part of that quote is what gives it so much meaning. Film room wasn’t always fun last year, especially when the players started losing faith in the system. Now, it’s a different story, and with increased accountability across the room, watching game tapes should carry greater value.

*Grimes is a former 5-star who has plenty of experience, and huge expectations for the season. Balfour has barely been on the field, but among his missions will be complementing Grimes on the other side.

“All I know is his side’s gonna be strap-down, my side’s gonna be strap-down, my safeties are gonna be back there, and we got our nickels and our backers, the d-line gotta get to the QB, and we’ll be straight,” Grimes said, smiling the entire time.

*D.J. Jones was named the starting running back for the Tar Heels’ opener versus the Rattlers. And while Jones doesn’t like how the opportunity arose for him, with British Brooks suffering an injury forcing him to miss the season, he is certainly excited about the chance to get out there. In addition, if one considers what he has been through the last two seasons battling multiple injuries, Saturday night will be big for the junior from Fayetteville.

“For me, it’s just been everything I’ve been working for, everything I’ve been training for every day I’ve been here,” Jones said. “It’s an opportunity just to present itself…

“I didn’t like the way it happened. I hate that for British, his fifth year here, and I hope he gets back sooner than later. But for me, for that reason, it didn’t really hit me as something that’s positive just because British being out. But it is what it is."

*Jones admitted a few weeks ago that mentally he struggled with overcoming injuries last season, and as a result wasn’t as quick or fast with cuts, reads, etc, as he needed. He did say that was behind him, and now going into an opener as the starter, says he is mentally strong and ready to go and try to corral this job.

“Oh yes,” Jones said. “Film, body’s healthy, confident, everything’s hitting right now, so I feel good.”

And as part of being prepared, he said: “I feel like I’ve taken every day, even when I was backing British up as the starter, so I feel like I’m prepared on all cylinders.”

*Brooks was seen walking through the lobby of the Kenan Football Center during the pressers. He truly is helping coach the running backs, and got high marks from Jones.

“British is great,” Jones said, smiling. “He’s a vet, he knows what he’s talking about, and honestly, I trust him more than I do the coaches (laughter). That’s the type of person British is. It’s been great the past couple of days, and I know he will help us in any way he can.”

*Gray has been a regular visiting with the media going back to the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte five weeks ago. More than anyone, he has spoken about how the defense has changed under Gene Chizik, explaining the new standard and scheme. So, now that the Tar Heels are several days from playing an actual game, he is excited to see what the unit looks like.

“I’m very excited for this coming Saturday,” Gray said. “The defense is very excited. We’ve been working hard this offseason. The d-line, DBs, and linebackers, we all have put in a lot of work this offseason, and I think we’re all excited to see it come to fruition this weekend on Saturday.

“We’re going to play to our standard, we’re going to play to our culture that Coach Chiz has set for us, and you’re definitely going to see a new and improved defense.”

*The standard encompasses the many mandates placed on the defense since Chizik arrived in January. Gray is confident the unit has taken the necessary steps in becoming what Chizik has had in mind all along.

“Yes, I’m very confident that we have done what we’ve had to,” Gray said. “The d-line, secondary, and linebackers have looked really good in practice; just the improvements that we have made from the spring, and really getting more comfortable in the defense. I think it’s all going to show this weekend.”

*Tony Grimes said the one thing that will stand out from last season on defense that has improved is the overall communication, which really was a huge problem at times last season. Gray said something different will stand out to everyone.

“I definitely think you’ll see a way better run defense this year,” he said. “Last year, our run defense, if I’m not mistaken, was ranked 90s, or 100s, I think we’re going to improve there a lot. I think we’re getting the grasp of how we’re going to defend the run this year, and the d-line is doing a good job with that. The linebackers as well, too.

“So, I think stopping the run is going to be a major difference this year.”

*Downs gets all of the attention among UNC’s wide receivers, and for good reason. He set single-season school records last fall with 101 receptions for 1,335 yards, so he is on just about every preseason all-this-and-that list there is. So what are his thoughts on the younger guys in the WR room, notably the three returning second-year players?

“I think they are completely ready,” Downs said. “Gavin Blackwell has stepped all camp, Kobe Paysour has also stepped up in camp a lot and done very well, and J.J. Jones is out there on the left and doing great. I expect them to make plays Saturday and make plays throughout the year.”

*Phil Longo said Monday that even though the Heels have just seven wide receivers on scholarship right now, that room is much deeper than it was a year ago because the second-year players have come a long way, and the two true freshmen, especially Andre Greene, are very talented. Mack Brown said Monday that Greene could become a “super star” down the road. Downs likes what he sees in his room, too.

“I would definitely say that,” Downs said. “I just mentioned (quoted above) those three guys, and you can throw in Andre Greene as well; he’s a really young talent that’s different. He’s just a young cat, but he’s very good, he’ll make plays Saturday. Justin Olson also is a veteran and can come in there and make plays.

“Bryson Nesbit can line up in slot, so you can throw him in there, too, and we’ve got a pretty good group.”

Nesbit is a tight end who has worked a lot since last winter in the slot position. The only WR not mentioned is true freshman Doc Chapman, who was a 4-star prospect from the Virginia Beach area, whose name has come up quite a few times since fall camp started on July 29.

*Downs has competed against redshirt freshman cornerback Dontae Balfour quite a bit over the last month, so there isn’t anyone better to get a scouting report on Balfour than Downs. Balfour, by the way, will start at one corner along with Tony Grimes on Saturday.

“Dontae has definitely grown over the last year-and-a-half, two years in that room,” Downs said. “He’s definitely developed himself as a starter like he is now. He’s gotten stronger, he’s gotten smarter, and he’s gotten faster. I definitely can see Dontae making a lot of good plays out there.”