Daniel King, Melkart Abou-Jaoude Blunt Statements Ahead of UCF

The North Carolina football team travel to UCF and enters a noisy environment for its fourth game of the season. Following games against the TCU Horned Frogs, Charlotte 49ers and the Richmond Spiders, UNC hits the road with a record of 2-1, winning with no pressure in its last two games since taking a beating in Head Coach Bill Belichick's debut. Belichick's squad defeated the 49ers and the Spiders comfortably, both by double-digit margins, in addition to not allowing either team to score a touchdown — only a total of three field goals.

Head Coach Bill Belichick; Sept. 16, 2025 | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Belichick and the Tar Heels will be tested, not only due to the circumstances of playing inside the Arcisure Bounce House, but also a UCF team that holds a record of 2-0, beating Jacksonville State by a touchdown, 17-10, and dominating NC A&T — a 61-point margin — 68-7.

North Carolina will return to Chapel Hill after its bye week and face Head Coach Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers (who have not looked like what anyone expected them to be so far this season).

King and Abou-Jaoude talked to the media ahead of their contest against the Knights, or in other words, "Central," as Belichick refers to them as — sharing about the game against Richmond, Demon June, and more.

Offensive Lineman Daniel King

On Mitch Mason Receiving the Game Ball After Richmond

“Yeah, I think Mitch is an amazing human. And one thing that's really special about Mitch is he doesn't care who you are. He doesn't care if you're a travel guy, a non-travel guy. He is always there for you if you need anything. And I think that really speaks for his character as a man. And it made me so happy seeing him get that game ball. It meant a lot to me and the players. I just couldn’t be more happy for Mitch.”

On Playing at the Power Conference Stage

"I don't know if I can really speak for everybody else, but I know for me, I definitely came in with an edge. I wanted to prove something in my career coming from a smaller school. I knew that I wanted to show the coach that I could compete at this level and be a good player for this team.

On Demon June's Performance Against Richmond

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

“Yeah, that was pretty exciting to watch. Juju's a really good back. And I think a lot of the fans appreciate him and the way he runs the ball. And I know as an O-lineman, we definitely appreciate that.”

Defensive Lineman Melkart Abou-Jaoude

On the Bagel Shop Story

"Yeah. So the head coach at Delaware [Ryan Carty], his friend who played with him at Delaware, came to the bagel shop and he saw me working there. And he was like—he looked me up and down—he’s like, “What are you doing here? Why are you making bagels?” I was like, “I’m in high school. I’m just trying to make some money.” And he was like, “Are you going to play college football? Are you committed anywhere?” I was like, “No.”

"And at that point, I was either thinking about going to JUCO or just working, just getting me a job. And so, yeah, he told me he would set me up, and he stuck with his word, and he got me down to Delaware."

On His Performance Against Richmond

"I carry that confidence every day, starting in spring. And (Fall) camp, just always been getting back there and always getting pressure on the quarterback. So, I would just say the secondary did a good job covering the receivers and the D-line in the front, maintaining the worst things and just gave me the opportunity to get a set."

On the Recruitment Process After Entering the Transfer Portal

"So I entered the transfer portal and then actually Coach (Bob) Diaco texted me and set up my visit to come here. I came here. He wasn't here, but I had talked to Freddy Kitchens and we had a good conversation. And when I was on my way to Virginia Tech to go visit there, Coach Belichick called me and we had a great conversation. And it really persuaded me to come here."

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