CHAPEL HILL – UNC offensive line coach Chris Kapilovic spoke with THI after practice Wednesday evening about the attrition in his unit and how they are coping with the challenges.
Q: You’ve had some attrition on the offensive line. This time a year ago you talked about needing to build depth and it looks like you’re in that situation again and keep the front line guys healthy.
Kapilovic: Yeah, no question. We came into the season losing two guys – one that we were really counting on in Jared Cohen. But we came in and saw some real improvement. I thought these guys worked really hard in the offseason, and then as we’ve gone through here in the last couple of weeks some guys have gone down, so we’ve had to play a bunch of people in multiple positions, we’ve had some young guys that have had to get some good reps. Again, we’ve just got to look at the positives of that: a lot of guys are getting reps and getting better and we’re just hoping we’ll get close to full strength by the (Sept.) 3rd.
Q: With (true freshman center) Tommy Hatton getting reps as the 1, I asked Marquise Williams last week how Tommy was handling that, and he said other than sometimes not fully embracing the fact that he’s in college and he has to be that college guy, that when he loses himself and forgets about that he’s done pretty well, is mature and can handle a lot of the responsibilities at center.
Kapilovic: Tommy is a mature kid, he has an unbelievable disposition as far as just wanting to be good. He was coached very well in high school – his head coach was an NFL lineman and played at Boston College, I believe. So he came in with some really good tools. Some people just have that intensity and want to. This has been his goal for a long time, and he came in and he didn’t disappoint.
Q: R.J. Prince is playing the (backup) right tackle position. This is an opportunity for him, how is he handling it?
Kapilovic: Pretty well. We’re just looking for consistency from R.J. He’s a guy that in our first scrimmage (he) really played well. We had some ups and downs, but we really just have to get him some confidence in himself, play to the ability he has and he can really help us.
Q: How much can getting the reps help that itself?
Kapilovic: Well, it’s big to get the reps, and like I’ve talked to him about, ‘Hey, we’re all going to have a bad play here and there but it’s just moving forward, don’t let that play beat you two more plays.’ So, if we can keep getting that mentality from him that will be huge for us to have him.
Q: The guy that got the most snaps on the team last year is now backing up at guard, John Ferranto and he was backing up at tackle. How is he handling being moved around and not being a starter right now?
Kapilovic: He’s an unbelievable person. I hope my sons are like him when they get older, I really do. This whole program means the world to him, he pours his heart and soul every day, and he’s actually played all four spots at camp. He’s been a right guard, a right tackle, a left guard and a left tackle. He’s learning them both and trying to master his technique. So he’s a valuable, valuable person for this line. He’s going to play in the games and he’s going to be a valuable backup for us, and he’s handling it well.
Q: Does he permeate the culture that you want in that group?
Kapilovic: No doubt. That’s what you want. He’s all about business, and whatever task you give him he’s going to go ahead and accomplish it. There’s no complaining, there’s just working at it and that’s really what you want.
Q: You’ve had some attrition on the offensive line. This time a year ago you talked about needing to build depth and it looks like you’re in that situation again and keep the front line guys healthy.
Kapilovic: Yeah, no question. We came into the season losing two guys – one that we were really counting on in Jared Cohen. But we came in and saw some real improvement. I thought these guys worked really hard in the offseason, and then as we’ve gone through here in the last couple of weeks some guys have gone down, so we’ve had to play a bunch of people in multiple positions, we’ve had some young guys that have had to get some good reps. Again, we’ve just got to look at the positives of that: a lot of guys are getting reps and getting better and we’re just hoping we’ll get close to full strength by the (Sept.) 3rd.
Q: With (true freshman center) Tommy Hatton getting reps as the 1, I asked Marquise Williams last week how Tommy was handling that, and he said other than sometimes not fully embracing the fact that he’s in college and he has to be that college guy, that when he loses himself and forgets about that he’s done pretty well, is mature and can handle a lot of the responsibilities at center.
Kapilovic: Tommy is a mature kid, he has an unbelievable disposition as far as just wanting to be good. He was coached very well in high school – his head coach was an NFL lineman and played at Boston College, I believe. So he came in with some really good tools. Some people just have that intensity and want to. This has been his goal for a long time, and he came in and he didn’t disappoint.
Q: R.J. Prince is playing the (backup) right tackle position. This is an opportunity for him, how is he handling it?
Kapilovic: Pretty well. We’re just looking for consistency from R.J. He’s a guy that in our first scrimmage (he) really played well. We had some ups and downs, but we really just have to get him some confidence in himself, play to the ability he has and he can really help us.
Q: How much can getting the reps help that itself?
Kapilovic: Well, it’s big to get the reps, and like I’ve talked to him about, ‘Hey, we’re all going to have a bad play here and there but it’s just moving forward, don’t let that play beat you two more plays.’ So, if we can keep getting that mentality from him that will be huge for us to have him.
Q: The guy that got the most snaps on the team last year is now backing up at guard, John Ferranto and he was backing up at tackle. How is he handling being moved around and not being a starter right now?
Kapilovic: He’s an unbelievable person. I hope my sons are like him when they get older, I really do. This whole program means the world to him, he pours his heart and soul every day, and he’s actually played all four spots at camp. He’s been a right guard, a right tackle, a left guard and a left tackle. He’s learning them both and trying to master his technique. So he’s a valuable, valuable person for this line. He’s going to play in the games and he’s going to be a valuable backup for us, and he’s handling it well.
Q: Does he permeate the culture that you want in that group?
Kapilovic: No doubt. That’s what you want. He’s all about business, and whatever task you give him he’s going to go ahead and accomplish it. There’s no complaining, there’s just working at it and that’s really what you want.
