CJ Mims and the Rise of UNC’s Defensive Front

The Tar Heels’ defense has shown real progress over the past few weeks. Much of that growth has come from the inside, where lineman CJ Mims and his teammates have brought a steadier, more disciplined approach to the line of scrimmage.

On Tuesday, Mims met up with the media to discuss the unit's improvement as well as how the team is progressing.

Could you quantify how much you guys have grown up front, especially the interior defensively, since the first game you look at the numbers, I give it a lot of big runs, a lot more efficiency. And will just said that discipline has been something that's been a huge part of your growth. Can you kind of take a student and quantify how much you guys have grown?

UNC — Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Isaiah Johnson (94) celebrtates with defensive tackle D'Antre Robinson (6) after making a sack in the second quarer at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

So yes, discipline did play a big part of just really executing our part of the defense and doing our job. You know, we sit down to the process stacking days the past couple of weeks, just trying to face the little things and, you know, do it like make just making sure that we do our part of the defense.

When defenses struggle, a lot of players talk about learning to trust the guys up front to do their job too. Where is the trust process with you guys? And where did you really start having that, that high level trust?

I feel the trust process has always been there. It's just there's it comes from communication, just working and going out there practice and working with the guys every day. So I will say that the trust process has always been there. Just the growth on the past couple of weeks and fixing the things that need to be fixed.

With the last two games being decided by such close margins—less than a yard both times—what is the process for mentally bouncing back from that? Coach Belichick said that everything is in your control. So how do you, as a team, come back from those tough losses?

UNC — Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels and Virginia Cavaliers players react at the end of overtime at Kenan Stadium. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

You know, really, because, you know, the game didn't go the way we wanted to go, but we competed at a high level, and we're stepping to the we're stepping towards the right, you know, direction where we want to be and where we want to go this season. So we have to put it behind us and prepare for the next.

On the Defensive Line Making Plays …

I would just say, you know, it's because, like we all, we all love to compete, and we come to, we kind of prize everything and compete with each other and push each other every day just to get better. And, you know, put ourselves in these situations where we. Can make plays because, you know, I like, you know, there's certain situations where you see, you see one man make the set, but as a group, we made a set as we work together on the field.

On sacks being a tone setter…

Yes, I will say that, you know, it really sets the tone. And as you said, as that hunger to us and making us really want to compete, you know, okay, he got one, you know, let's try to get one. Let me try again that one.

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