Bill Belichick's Blunt, Honest Comments on Demon June

Bill Belichick won his first game inside Kenan Memorial Stadium with the help of freshman running back Demon June, who ran for 148 yards as well as scored his first rushing touchdown of the season. North Carolina's offense looked its best, handing the ball off to the frosh, as the Richmond Spiders had a hard time stopping him in his tracks. June's performance was en route to the 41-6 score that concluded the contest.

After the game clock expired, Coach Belichick spoke in June, telling about the root cause of his confidence that helped him have games like he did against Head Coach Russ Huesman and the Spiders.

“The confidence comes from performance," said Belichick following the win over Richmond. "You know, we can talk confidence all we want, but until you go out there and do it and show that you can do it still not there until you can actually produce it. So everybody has confidence in him and try to encourage him and all that. But many go out there and make those plays in training camp, in practice, and then in practice, as we go through the season, get a few more reps and that's kind of how you work your way up, is you get, get a few plays, you do pretty well with them."

Head Coach Bill Belichick; Sept. 13, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy

"You take advantage of them. You get a few more. You get on special teams. You show you can do something there. And that just leads to other opportunities. And I've had a lot of players like that, you know, the Troy Browns, the Julian Edelmans, the Rex Burkheads, the guys like that. They just keep doing stuff, and it grows on you, and you keep putting more on them, and they keep showing up and producing. So to this point, he's continued to make good progress."

"You know, can't let today go to his head. I mean, he's still got a long way to go, but he's got a great future. If he can keep doing the same things he's been doing to get to where he is, then he's got a chance to grow and develop. If he stops where he is, I don't how far that's going to take him so far, he's been really persistent about that, and that's what we need.”

North Carolina RB Demon June; Sept. 13, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Does Bill Belichick Have To Rely on His Freshman for Offense?

Belichick and Offensive Coordinator Freddie Kitchens may have to rely on June, also known as "Juju," to score points and keep the offense in a rhythm — because, let's be honest — UNC looked a whole lot better with the ball in his hands. And there is nothing wrong with that either; it's the nature of how the team works, and with quarterback Gio Lopez finding ways to increase his comfort level, that does not stop North Carolina from going in a different direction than passing the football.

In total, UNC has scored 75 points after playing TCU, Charlotte and Richmond. Could it have been more? Absolutely, especially the 20-point outing against the 49ers on the road, the Tar Heels had many advantages compared to Head Coach Tim Albin's squad, but then that's also when June began to come out of his shell and show off what he can do — running for 52 yards on nine carries. Then, he received the starting nod once Richmond came to Chapel Hill and the rest was history.

Running back Demon June; Sept. 13, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

The Tar Heels are now finding their identity with the offense, and it's found within a freshman back from Jacksonville, North Carolina — now playing in front of his friends and family. June's future as the starting running back and beyond the 2025 season gives this football program something to look forward to.

For Juju, he can go down as another notable back, to go with other former Tar Heels like Gio Bernard, Michael Carter, Javonte Williams, Ty Chandler, and, most recently, Omarion Hampton.

UNC will take play the UCF Knights on the road this Saturday, September 20 at 3:30 p.m. on FOX.

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