Mikai Gbayor Discusses Mindset, Development, and Teammate Tyler Thompson

The North Carolina Tar Heels football team will take on the Virginia Cavailers on Saturday, Oct 25, at noon. UNC has gone 2-4 through its first six games with losses to TCU, UCF, Clemson and in its last outing, California. On the other hand, Virginia has been rolling this season, going 6-1 and 3-0 in the ACC.

Linebacker Mikai Gbayor met with the media and shared about Tyler Thompson, personal mindset and team growth.

UNC — North Carolina linebacker Mikai Gbayor returned a 66-yard fumble for a touchdown in the Tar Heels' 41-6 victory over Richmond (Sept. 4, 2025). | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

To Watch, Check Out the Video Below:

On Tyler Thompson's Performance Against California

“Yeah, he takes practice to the game. He works hard throughout the weekend. It definitely paid off in the show against Cal. His mindset has been, ‘Let's do it again. Let's, let's go out there. Let's go out there. Let's play hard, physical.’ And he's been one of the guys who's been bringing energy to practice.”

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick reacts against the California Golden Bears in the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

On Bill Belichick Talking to the Team About Staying at UNC

“It was great. You know, you hear a lot of outside noise that is a bit of a distraction, but we can't let that distract us. We gotta focus on playing the game, which is most important, but hearing that from coaches is absolutely great. (This) program guys, we've been bought in, and we just want to work and continue to make this place better.”

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Gio Lopez (7) throws against the California Golden Bears in the third quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

On the Team's Improvement

“It's very important, we're gonna keep on building, a bunch of new guys. We are starting to gel together. A lot of guys are closer with a lot of guys than weren’t in the beginning of the year. It's just hard when a lot of new guys come in, but we get it done and as the season go on, and we are gonna get better.”

Oct 4, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Max Johnson (14) looks to pass in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

On the Personal Mindset

“It's one mindset for me and the team, and that's just to execute, focus on fundamentals and do our best and practice, work hard. My mindset is the same as the team. Like I just said, you know, we focus on improving, and that's my goal — we improve together.”

Oct 17, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick stands on the sidelines against the California Golden Bears in the first quarter at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eakin Howard-Imagn Images | Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

On Growth as a Player

“I learned so much about football playing for Coach (Belichick). It's the little details that I might not control before, and it's just coming in every day, honing on the fundamentals, not worrying about fundamentals during the game. That's that's one of the biggest things. So, I mean, I improved a lot. I'm so thankful for the opportunities. I'm excited to learn. I'm still learning; so much to learn.”

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