Morrison Embracing Challenge Of Talking In New Role
CHAPEL HILL – Trey Morrison is transitioning from quietly going about his business to one of the loudest barkers on the football field for North Carolina’s defense, even though it doesn’t come as naturally as tackling ball carriers and defending intended receivers.
His new job, well his new main job, is at strong safety, and with it means Morrison must constantly talk with the rest of the defense, which wasn’t previously part of his job description.
“I’ve got to communicate way more,” Morrison said, via zoom following UNC’s practice Wednesday morning. “At safety, I’m pretty much the quarterback of the defense, so I’ve got to talk a lot.”
It’s not that Morrison is a complete stranger to his new starting role, which was vacated when graduate student Myles Wolfolk was ruled academically ineligible late last week, he’s played some safety in practice over the last two months.
Most of his reps were at cornerback, where he started last season as a sophomore, and nickel, which is where he started as a true freshman and in the opener two weeks ago versus Syracuse. Morrison says he’s still getting reps everywhere, but the main focus is now at the back of the defense.
He’s a football player through and through, his teammates say, but he’s not the most talkative Tar Heel on the roster. That change and greatest challenge of this move.
“That’s probably the hardest thing for me,” Morrison said. “At nickel, I never really had to talk that much and at corner I never had to talk at all, so just being back there having to talk and let everybody know everything is a bit different for me.”
As for the physical stuff?
“Safety is a little more reading, more eyes on the quarterback,” he said, also noting he moves more upfield at safety than the other positions.
In his place at nickel is true freshman Ja’Qurious Conley, whom the players call “JQ.”
Conley, who is from Jacksonville, NC, played 23 snaps at nickel in the win over the Orange as well as 22 plays on special teams. So, he got a decent taste of the major college game. But now he must get up to snuff quickly, especially with UNC’s next game Oct. 3 at Boston College.
Is Conley ready for such an important role? Who else will know better than the guy he’s replacing?
“JQ, he’s a super athletic guy,” Morrison said. “He’s a freak out there on the field. He can run, he’s super big, he can pretty much do anything. Him stepping in is going to be a great improvement for our defense. He can play.”
Morrison is working closely with Conley on the communication aspect of the position, not so much pre-snap barking but also the more general discourse that takes place during a game. That includes learning the position and opponents.
Sam Howell has a pretty good idea of what Conley brings to the field. The highly acclaimed sophomore quarterback has gone against him in practice for the last two months, and Howell is excited to see the first Tar Heel to ever wear jersey number “0” play a bigger role.
“Ever since he came in, he’s made his presence on the field,” Howell said about Conley. “He’s one of the guys on the defensive side of the ball when he came in he made an immediate impact. He flies around the field, he’s a big, physical kid, he’s making plays in the passing game, he’s making plays in the box.
“He’s done a really good job (and) is definitely a guy I want to see on the field.”
Mack Brown calls Conley “one of the best athletes on our team” and defensive coordinator Jay Bateman couldn’t be more impressed with Morrison than he already is.
“Trey Morrison, my goal is to have a series where he plays nickel, safety and corner,” Bateman said last week. “That's my goal. He's the kid I think we've been impressed with the most.”
Wolfolk graded out well for his play versus Syracuse and will be missed, but UNC appears well positioned to absorb the loss, especially as the more loquacious side of Morrison surfaces.