Lawson Rehabbing and Looking Forward to Being at Carolina
Timothy Lawson is a 6-foot-5, 220-pound Class of 2024 tight end that is committed to play for head coach Mack Brown and North Carolina for the Class of 2024.
The 3-star from Bishop Verot High School in Fort Myers, FL, chose to play for position coach Freddie Kitchens and the Tar Heels in June over offers from several other big-name, Power 5 schools, including Arkansas, Baylor, Duke, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, Mississippi State, Pitt, Purdue, Rutgers, TCU, Texas A&M, UCF, and Virginia Tech.
We recently caught up with Lawson to discuss his recovery from an ACL injury and continued communication and thoughts on Carolina, which is 7-2 and No. 24 in the nation heading into the final quarter of the season:
THI: Describe the road to recovery and the current status of your ACL injury
LAWSON: "I've been (completing) a lot of mobility exercises, which I will be doing until I'm (fully recovered). Then, when I am cleared to play, I will head up to Chapel Hill and (begin) more of my strengthening work."
THI: How has your relationship grown with Coach Freddie Kitchens since you committed to Carolina?
LAWSON: "It's been very good. We (talk on the telephone) every week, and we have (grown) even closer since my injury."
THI: What do you like about Freddie Kitchens as a coach on and off the field and what do you believe he offers from a schematics standpoint?
LAWSON: "(Kitchens) really just builds (relationships) with his guys, and I (believe) (that aspect) makes it very easy to give him your full attention and respect, because you know that he is 'in it' to make the tight ends better and 'just win' win football games. I also like the way he utilizes his tight ends (shifting) back and forth, from splitting out and having them tight to the line to having two to three (players at the position) (on the field) at once."
THI: What are your thoughts on Offensive Coordinator Chip Lindsey and how he utilizes the tight ends in his balanced, high-performance attack?
LAWSON: "I think he has a good game plan in place with the offensive scheme. (Lindsey) finds a good balance when it comes to passing and running out of (both) a tight set and a spread set."
THI: What is the 'it' factor about Hall of Fame legend head coach Mack Brown that made you want to commit to the program, not only on the field, but off it as well?
LAWSON: "I think (Brown) has one of the best personalities on and off the field in all of college football, and that he really knows how to connect with his guys and get the most out of them on game days."
THI: Describe the culture you believe is being established under Mack Brown at North Carolina and what you envision for the future for the Tar Heels under the leadership under the Hall of Fame legend?
LAWSON: "I (believe) he is building a winning culture that doesn't just expect to break even every season, but one where (UNC) actually (expects) to win an ACC Championship and eventually compete for a College Football Playoff title in the future."
THI: What are your thoughts on the gameday environment at Kenan Stadium in Chapel Hill?
LAWSON: "I really like the way all of the fans see themselves as 'connected' (with the players and the university culture), and that just makes for a great game day atmosphere, especially in the student section."