North Carolina
Ezeudu: We know how highly ranked we are ... we have to prove that we deserve to be there
UNC offensive lineman Josh Ezeudu met remotely with the media Monday to look ahead to UNC's season opener at Virginia Tech on Friday night.
josh, thanks for a couple minutes this morning. Hello Hello to all of you. Yvonne's all right. We'll go over to Michael Co yeah. Hi Joshua. So we had somehow here a few minutes ago he was talking about how, since the offensive line is such a veteran group this year that you guys that it's a lot easier to communicate even in a hostile road environment like Blacksburg. How comfortable do you feel knowing that all the guys around you are veterans and they're not going to be uh you know, big I coming into a road environment like that. I feel great because you know, we have a lot of starts under all of our bills to and then also we've also, we've also being, this has a big time games like the Orange Bowl, the gaming in my Miami and then like we learned a lot. So I feel very good about how if we want will still be focused and not let the noise of the crowd of the fans affect any. Mhm One of us, thank you. Okay, let's go back over to Greg Barnes. Hey Joshua to kind of build off that. Um, we've all made a big deal about the starting five officer Lyman coming back kind of the big storyline though was would this team be able to build depth behind the starters? Do you feel like the backups for the starters upfront or kind of where they need to be. So you guys need a little bit of rest. Yes, 100%. I think that the probably one of the biggest improvements that happened in our team in camp and spring is that both on the, on the offense and defense that are sick of team guys have made that big jump. So like now we've had, we have way more depth than we've ever had and the first two he years wait coach. So yes, I feel very good that they can ease silly come in and there will be no, you won't even tell that you won't even tell the did the the difference. I also wanted to ask you about Virginia tech. What what kind of stands out to them on film when you start looking at that defense. They're big. They have a lot of good dif the offensive. Sure. Yeah. Lawman two, they have a number 38 whose real big he's long. They also have um Jordan Williams who just came from, who just came from cool limps into, he's big, strong, powerful. And then also to, they have the same guys to that that we're all that we all are ready on the team too. So we know that they have a very good defense and there and they are also a very good good team. So all so we know we have our hands full and we have to be, we have to come there to be ready for a for a fight. Thank you. Okay. Andrew jones. Hey josh. What is your excitement level? You think the team's excitement, energy level is going into a very highly anticipated opener in a tough environment. I think every single one of us on the team is excited like probably more excited than We've been in the past eight months or because like we're finally about to hit somebody that's not our team mate two and plus we also know how big this game is. So we know all the, what the, what the, what the media is talking about and how, and, and, and how highly ranked we are right now. So we know we have to go in and every day of practice and every, every, every game to, we have to prove we have to, um, yes, prove it to that we, that we deserve to be there. So we're excited to also have a chance to prove that too, staying on that. Are you kind of anxious to see what certain elements of the team are all about? We've, we've heard a lot about, you know, who's going to step in at wide receiver. A lot of talk about josh replacing Michael and Devante and, and some and Eugene on defense replacing say or Chaz rather are you kind of excited, anxious to see what certain aspects of the team end up looking like friday night because you have an idea I would think in fall camp, but the game is something different. I wouldn't say I'm anxious, but I'm more excited of Because I know I've seen them work. I've seen them pool. I've seen them for eight once now work hard, worked very, very hard. So I know they will be ready to to come out and do what, what we know they can do. So then they will show the rest of the world what they can also do too. So I'm just more excited for all of them because it's it's because it's their chance for them to actually go out. So yes. Well, thank you appreciate that. All right. We will, we'll close up today with Cl Brown. Hey, uh, first I just want to clarify like when, when you have your name in print, do you prefer josh or Joshua? Either or I'm fine with. All right. All right. I just didn't want to assume when I put josh, I didn't want to assume anything. So what's the one thing that you know, given that the pandemic hit and crowds were limited and everything last year? What's the one thing that you look forward to again, having a life sized crowd in an environment on friday. What's the what's the one thing you really missed about? That one thing I missed about it? Well, I'm pretty sure every, every every every every every, every every person will tell you it's just like the feel like fans just make everything feel so much different. Like the environment is different. Like it feels like an actual actual game day. Like you have people screaming their heads off just just just so just so can I help 13 wins and then two if you're also the if you're also the if you're also the old the waiting to you also hear fans stop screaming ish. And what's called screaming and shouting every time you do something good. So like that's just the feel of it is just so much different. And like that's a feel every person every every sports fan, you know, can't wait to feel uh a a getting to All right. Thanks man.