CHAPEL HILL – Tuesday evenings once game-week arrives are when North Carolina’s football players are available to the media for their weekly interviews, but some Tar Heels have classes and aren’t able to make it during the weekly time slots.

Sophomore defensive lineman Jahvaree Ritzie is one of those players. So, he was available following practice Wednesday morning just ahead of UNC Coach Mack Brown’s weekly post-practice Q&A session.

Above is the video of Ritzie’s interview, and below are some bullet points about the things he discussed:

*Many of Ritzie’s teammates said throughout fall camp he was exploding, and even junior LB Cedric Gray said at the ACC Kickoff in Charlotte that Ritzie was his pick to break through this season. Ritzie discussed how his game has grown to where he’s ready to take off.

*Ritzie is mostly playing the three technique, but he is also getting some reps at power end. He discussed playing both positions and the differences in them.

*Ritzie has gained weight but also said he is quicker and faster. He explained how that’s so, noting his 40 and take-off times are better, and that his overall speed getting to the ball are better as well.

*The Tar Heels are ready to hit someone else, Ritzie said, and cannot wait to take the field Saturday night.

*Drake Maye was named the starting quarterback earlier this week, and as someone who arrived at UNC in the same class as Maye and has now gone against him as a pass rusher in practice, Ritzie offered a scouting report on Carolina’s new QB1.