Trubisky Leads UNC Football Into Spring Practice

After taking a couple of months off following its remarkable 11-win 2015 season, the UNC football team is now two days into spring practice for 2016.

The most obvious difference for the Tar Heels between now and then is at the sport’s most important position.

With the graduation of quarterback Marquise Williams—the school’s all-time touchdown leader—all eyes in Chapel Hill now turn to junior Mitch Trubisky, who is expected to take over the reins of a team loaded with both talent and expectations.

As Williams–wearing a white t-shirt and a pair of bright red Nikes–watched Trubisky at Tuesday’s practice from the sidelines, it immediately brought back memories of the former signal-caller’s bold proclamation about his backup in the weeks leading up to UNC’s bowl loss against Baylor.

“He’s gonna win us the ACC Championship,” Williams said in December of Trubisky. “I’m saying that right now. We’re gonna win it, then probably go on and play in the playoffs.”

A wide grin on his face, he then told reporters, “That’s a bet right there, baby.”

For parts of the last two seasons, UNC head coach Larry Fedora had Williams split the job with Trubisky—often having the two quarterbacks rotate during games.

At home against Delaware last season Trubisky replaced a struggling Williams in the second quarter amidst a steady rainstorm and stayed in the rest of the way—completing 17 of his 20 passes for 312 yards and four touchdowns.

Although Williams went on to finish the season strong, Tar Heel fans got a taste of what was to come in the next few years.

Given the returning talent on UNC’s offense for 2016—guys like running back Elijah Hood and big-play receivers Ryan Switzer, Mack Hollins, and Bug Howard—Trubisky won’t have to be Superman.

And that’s just fine with him.

“It takes a lot of weight off my shoulders,” Trubisky said about his talented teammates. “That’s the only thing I need to do is get the ball to playmakers. Get it to Elijah Hood, TJ Logan, Mack Hollins, Bug, Switz on the outside. That’s what it’s gonna come down to.

“I won’t have to make every single play, because we do have the weapons.”

When asked of the difference between he and Williams, Trubisky initially declined to get into specifics before saying he likes to sit and make more reads from the pocket, while Williams was better at improvising.

Throughout his time on the field and with the media on Tuesday, Trubisky carried himself like a starting quarterback.

One of the few people not completely sold on that fact yet is his head coach, who is likely resorting to some old-school motivational tactics.

“Who said he’s the starting quarterback?” Fedora asked. “I’ve never said that. He’s not the starting quarterback until I say it—and I hadn’t said it.

“So Mitch knows he’s competing for a job. He’s competing for a job just like every quarterback that’s come through here has.”

As Trubisky approached reporters for his interview session, Fedora told him he just found out who his starting quarterback was.

For the most part, the Mentor, Ohio native said all the right things about wanting to work hard and do what’s necessary to help the team, but reading between the lines it was clear this is somebody who has been itching to get his chance in the spotlight.

“I’ve never been so excited,” he said about potentially being the starter. “I’ve been waiting and I’ve been working hard in the meantime—but it’s time to get going.”

“It’s time to show everybody what I can do.”

If Fedora needs a reason to motivate Trubisky, it’s because he knows that it’s not just Williams who expects the Tar Heels to return to the top of the ACC.

Plenty of people—both inside and outside the program—view UNC as a rising power in the college football landscape.

When you hear Fedora speak about what’s driving the Tar Heels this spring, he could just as easily be talking about Trubisky, whose development could end up defining the team’s season.

“I think the motivation is you’ve had a taste of what you can do, so you ought to be motivated to go even farther,” the coach said. “The mindset of this team right now is ‘How much farther can we go?’”