Veteran Tar Heel Ready for One Last Ride in the Trenches

Austin Blaske will have officially played six years of college football when he suits up for North Carolina on Labor Day night against TCU.

Blaske is one of three returning starters on the offensive line, joining sophomore guard Aidan Banfield and junior offensive tackle Trevyon Green. The former Georgia transfer started every game in 2024 and didn’t allow a single sack in 437 pass-blocking snaps and earned an 84.4 pass-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus.

"I would definitely say camp six is definitely easier than camp one, just maturing from being a freshman to a sixth year senior," Blaske said. "I mean that's the big difference between being an 18-year-old and being a 23-year-old. I definitely would say there's a big change there, just the maturity and going about my business and just doing all the little things right.”

However, he feels like this season could be special for him and for his teammates.

“I'm very excited. You know, I think this being my sixth year, you know, it's not just about this being my special year. I think it's going to be a really special year for the whole team. But, you know, like I said, right now we're just focused on having a great fall camp and having great practices.”

Blaske isn’t taking anything for granted and clearly looks forward to his final season. However, even he didn’t expect it to be under the legendary Bill Belichick.

“I think I was just very excited to play for one of the greatest coaches of all time,” Blaske said on his initial reaction to Belichick getting hired. It was unbelievable, but that he was going to be my coach and I was really excited.”

UNC — Bill Belichick | Jackson McCurdy, North Carolina Tar Heels On SI

Blaske will be playing for his fourth offensive line coach going into his sixth season of college football with Will Friend taking the mantle.

Friend has quite the resume as he has developed nine NFL draft picks, including Pro Bowl offensive lineman Trey Smith (Kansas City Chiefs) and 2019 first-rounder Darnell Wright (Chicago Bears). He coached both at Tennessee from 2017 to 2020..

“I think Coach Friend is an extremely smart coach,” Blaske said about his position coach. “He just doesn't tell us where to block. He tells us how to do it and the best way to do it. And he goes into depth about the X's and O's and just tells us everything we need to know about the play, not just, you know, block the guy, do this, but this is why we're running this play. So we get down to the schematics of what we have to do.”

Current UNC Offensive Line Coach Will Friend | Calvin Mattheis/News Sentinel via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Friend embodies the “Tough, Smart, Discipline” approach that Belichick has instilled in the Carolina program as Belichick and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens demand physicality in their offensive scheme.

“I think this year our message is just the toughness that he's been giving us in the O-Line room,” Blaske said. “You know, just showing up day in and day out, working. Because as the O-Line goes, as the team goes, so I think that's been the big point of this so far this fall camp.”

Blaske's Versatility Makes Him a Valuable Asset

This season, there will be an open season for starting positions on the offensive line. While Blaske is a projected starter, it’s a matter of where for the sixth-year senior. While he was the starting center for the Tar Heels last season, he was nominated for the Preseason All-ACC team as a guard by UNC’s coaching staff.

“I think competition brings on the best in all of us,” Blaske said. “You know, I think the competition is going to make guys play harder, play smarter, play faster, because they know that their job is not guaranteed. So, I think, you know, it's a good thing we have competition because it's going to bring the best out of that room and bring the best out of the team.”

Blaske also doesn’t mind moving around if he needs to help the team. After all, he has played center, guard and tackle throughout his career.

“You know, I'm going to go wherever they tell me to play,” Blaske saidd. “It doesn't matter to me where I play. I just want to do what's best for the team.”

Blaske will be an instrumental part of UNC’s offense as his leadership and versatility make the Tar Heels and the entire offensive line a better unit.

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