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CHAPEL HILL – Unlike many highly regarded football players coming out of high school, Beau Atkinson knew his time would come provided he take care of personal business in building his game. So, instead of getting antsy, he waited patiently.

Atkinson was a 4-star tight end/defensive end at Leesville Road High School in Raleigh, but when he got to North Carolina, he wasn’t quite big enough or elastic enough to handle the rigors and requirements of getting regular snaps in actual games. And he knew it.

Yet, he didn't complain about not getting on the field, Atkinson simply went to work. First on the UNC scout team, then in the weight and film rooms. Making himself into a productive football player was a non-negotiable. It was going to happen.

“Number one, physically, I was not at the physical standpoint to be able to play,” said Atkinson, a redshirt freshman who is averaging 15.5 snaps per game this season. “I was a little bit lighter then; I was probably like 235 pounds, which is not terrible. But this offseason, I prioritized putting on a lot of weight.

“And then another thing is I was a lot stiffer then, and so I put another big prioritization on mobility, so I could be able to bend the edge better. I think that helped me a lot.”

Atkinson says he’s between 255 and 260 pounds now, and his agility on the edge has been obvious from day one of this season. It was clear he was different when practice started in August, and it has carried into the games.

He played 16 snaps in the opener versus South Carolina, and among his efforts was a sack of Gamecocks quarterback Spencer Rattler. That also happened to be the young Tar Heel's wow game, but not his wow moment. That came in an aspect not often considered by football outsiders.

“We had worked on some wildcat checks and checks for that and for a specific play,” he recalled. “And then they actually came out into the wildcat. So, I was like we had a play called and I had to switch out of that and go to something totally different.

“So, it’s kind of crazy to have the live bullets flying and be able to make those moves. It’s definitely a cool experience.”

In six games for the 6-0 and tenth-ranked Tar Heels, Atkinson has six tackles, two of which are sacks, as well as six hurries and five STOPs, which are plays that result in failures for the opposing offense.

As proud as the 6-foot-6 Atkinson is in his performance so far, he is equally, or more, in the path he took going from a green undersized newbie to a more seasoned player with a massive upside. It first required having an understanding of his football place after arriving. Recognizing there’s a process was the first positive step Atkinson took.

“It’s definitely hard for a lot of people,” he said, referring to not playing right away. “For me, I feel like I’m pretty realistic with myself. I knew that I was not better than some of the guys playing last year, so I knew that I needed to put my head down and work harder to try to get there.

“And I feel like that’s been working pretty well so far.”

If he didn’t cause a fumble on the goal line against Miami last Saturday night, he was part of the hit that allowed the key play to occur. Atkinson said since he was in the moment, he isn’t sure if he got a hand on the ball. He says he may have, but also Jahvaree Ritzie’s knee was there, too.

That Atkinson was in that situation is also a testament to his work last offseason. It was a grind he embraced. And he also called on his team “big brother” Kaimon Rucker for assistance.

Rucker has set the standard for setting the edge and rushing the passer, so he worked with Atkinson almost daily in the spring and summer. Plus, Atkinson bulked up and improved his agility.

“Being realistic with yourself” is a theme of Atkinson’s. He says you must take every day in the weight room like it’s the championship, “because that’s where you want to be.

“So, we would do two-a-days in the spring and summer all the time, so just trying to us every single one of those as a huge time for me to be able to know that I can get myself that much better.”

There is no question Atkinson is a better player than a year ago. Much bigger, much more sculpted, more refined, and just getting started.