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What Jordan Shipp said ahead of spring practice
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- What Jordan Shipp said ahead of spring practice
North Carolina wide receiver Jordan Shipp met with reporters Tuesday before the Tar Heels held their first practice of spring camp.
Shipp is coming off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he caught 60 passes for 671 yards and six touchdowns, leading all UNC wide receivers in each category and earning All-ACC honorable mention. He scored in four of the Tar Heels ' final five games.
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Off the field, Shipp emerged as one of UNC's primary leaders and de facto spokesman, frequently representing the team at the podium during the week and after games. His visibility, candor and energy helped make him a fan favorite and an emotional rallying voice for the Tar Heels during a difficult season.
UNC opens a five-week spring practice schedule Tuesday afternoon, giving the first real glimpse at a dramatically retooled roster that includes 60 newcomers after last year's 4-8, 2-6 ACC finish.
Shipp's full press conference from Tuesday is below. Scroll down for notable excerpts.
Q: You're going into year three with a third offensive coordinator. As a receiver, how different is the focus each year, and how do you adjust?
SHIPP:Going from Coach Lindsey to Coach Kitchens, we kept a lot of the same concepts and terminology, so that transition wasn't too hard. Each change has really just meant learning more.
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I look at it as an opportunity instead of a problem. Football is always changing. You have to be comfortable with that. Last year was my first season playing with a left‑handed quarterback. I barely played with Max as a freshman, and he got hurt, so I didn't get many first‑team reps with him. There's a big difference catching from a left‑handed quarterback versus a right‑handed one. Getting a full season of that under my belt helped. I try to treat each change as a chance to grow, not as an obstacle.
Q: Bill Belichick said he feels more ahead this year after a full year to recruit. As a player, do you feel more ahead than you did at this time last year?
Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
SHIPP:Definitely. Everything we're doing now is more team‑based because we've actually played together.
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Last year felt like an almost completely new team. A lot of us didn't know each other. This year we have something to build on. We set a foundation last season, and now we're actually building on top of it. When you return more players than you did the year before, you're naturally going to be further along.
Q: After the NC State game you told us, "I'm not going anywhere," and you stayed true to that. What went into that decision and the vision that convinced you to remain at UNC?
SHIPP:The first thing I thought about was school and life after football. Graduating from the University of North Carolina is a huge accomplishment. Not many people can say they've done that, and that mattered to me.
From a football standpoint, it didn't really make sense for me to leave. This is where I want to be. I love Carolina. I've said it a lot. I've had a lot of people come through here who have done the things I want to do. When you add a great coach like Coach Belichick, there's no reason to leave.
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I'm close with my position coach, and I'm close with the guys in the locker room. Those relationships matter. It's hard to walk away from those friendships. Some of my closest friends have transferred, but we still talk every day. Everything pointed to staying. There was no need for me to go.
Q: What has stood out about your conversations with Bobby Petrino and how you're operating in a new offense?
Nov 29, 2025; Fayetteville, Arkansas, USA; Arkansas Razorbacks interim head coach Bobby Petrino prior to a game against the Missouri Tigers at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nelson Chenault-Imagn Images
SHIPP:The biggest thing is learning the offense inside and out. I want to know every spot so I can be a leader in the huddle and make sure everyone knows what's going on.
I want to be able to line up anywhere they put me and be confident in what I'm doing. For me, that starts with having a complete grasp of the offense so I can help others as well.
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Q: Last year you talked about how new everything was. How would you describe the cohesiveness of this year's group, balancing returning experience with another wave of transfers?
SHIPP:The big difference is we already have real camaraderie. Those friendships and that trust are already in place.
The leadership that formed last year is still here, and that puts us years ahead of where we were a year ago. It gives us a base for the new guys to plug into instead of starting from scratch.
Q: You've got 31 true freshmen and a large group of redshirt freshmen. You're already one of the veterans. What do you and the other older players have to do to bring them along, especially since a lot of them will probably play?
SHIPP:When you sign around 40 freshmen, some of them are going to be out there. If you can play, you can play, no matter your year. The key is maturity.
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My job is to be an outlet they know they can come to. For most of them, these are their first college practices. I tell them: don't be nervous, just play football. You're going to make mistakes. This is the time to make them. When you're older, you don't have that same margin. Your clock is ticking.
As a freshman, you have time to play free and have fun. That's the message I try to give them.
Q: Have any freshmen stood out so far?
SHIPP:A lot of those guys work hard. We signed a really good freshman class.
I'll show some love to the defense: Jazeel Hart and Spoon both work extremely hard. You see them up front with us in conditioning. Those guys really push.
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Q: Have you done any extra work with quarterback Billy Edwards, and what stands out about him?
SHIPP:We've thrown together and spent time off the field and in the locker room. Billy's a great guy and a great player. He's done good things at his previous schools. I'm excited to keep building that connection and relationship.
Q: You didn't play much as a freshman, but you were a captain last season and became a face of the team. How has that transition been, and how seriously do you take that responsibility? Do you think about how you speak publicly?
SHIPP:First, I give all the glory to God. Without Him, I wouldn't be here.
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The jump I made came from preparation — working harder in the offseason and having older guys who pushed me. Being put more out front as a representative of the program is a blessing. My high school coach prepared us for that. He always told us to be ourselves, be honest, be happy, and smile. That's how I try to carry myself every day.
You never know what people are going through. Why not be the guy who's always smiling and trying to be a light for someone else?
I take representing this logo very seriously. The UNC logo carries weight — the degree, the network, the alumni, the players who came before us. You're not just representing the 100‑plus guys on this team. You're representing a whole family. That's not something you take lightly.
Q: When you were elected captain at such a young age, was there a transition period to embracing that role with older players around you?
SHIPP:Not really. I think I was voted captain because I was already showing those traits.
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When I was named captain, nothing really changed about how I acted. Of course I was happy and honored, but I didn't try to be someone different. I don't focus on the title. I just want to do what the team needs — on the field, off the field, having one‑on‑one talks with guys, older or younger. I just want to be a resource for all my brothers.
Q: What did you learn as a person and as a player through the ups and downs of last season?
SHIPP:Getting up when you get knocked down.
We took a lot of losses last year. I wasn't used to that. It forced me to learn that if something doesn't work, you adjust and keep trying new things. You keep growing.
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I also learned more about myself and how much impact I can have just through the way I talk and carry myself. That's something I'm focused on going into spring ball and summer workouts — staying positive, even when things are going wrong.
You might not think it matters, but someone is always listening. If I start talking negative, they might follow that. Then we've lost another guy mentally, and we need everybody. So I try to stay positive and keep others up.
Q: What feels different about the way you'll operate on offense under Petrino, and what excites you about that, given his track record?
SHIPP:Right now I'm focused on our first practices. Everything looks good on air, but anybody looks good on air. The real test is what it looks like with a defense out there.
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Coach Kitchens was a great coach. I was really close with him because he helped recruit me from early in high school. When he left, that hurt because we talked every day.
Coach Petrino brings his own energy and a different offense. I've liked him so far. They're both great coaches. Everyone is going to be a little different, but I feel blessed I've been able to play for both.
Q: We saw you at Pro Day. Kobe Paysour was someone you leaned on early. Do you see yourself in that same mentor role now as one of the older receivers?
SHIPP:For sure. We have several freshman receivers, and I want to be the older guy they can look to.
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Watching Kobe at Pro Day made me really happy. Knowing what he's been through with injuries and seeing how hard he's worked behind the scenes, it meant a lot to see him perform like that.
If he sees this: I love you, and I'm proud of you. You worked hard, Pro Day looked great, and I'm blessed to call you my brother.
Q: You've talked about your own development in the weight room and on the field. What's been your biggest area of growth, and what does that say about the development process here for the younger guys?
SHIPP:Here, you're going to learn how to do everything.
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I've learned that playing receiver isn't just about catching the ball and running routes. I want to become a complete receiver and a complete player. That means continuing to grow as a leader, get stronger, get faster, and also focus on the small parts of the game.
Run blocking, chasing the ball, little details — those matter. You never know when a small block turns a run into another 10 or 15 yards. Understanding that and being willing to do it is important. My focus is on doing all the little things right and paying attention to detail.
Q: There were reports about fractures in the locker room late last season. As a leader now, do you feel a need to set the tone to prevent that?
SHIPP:Last year, those reports didn't match what we lived. That team was very close.
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We had a brand‑new roster. We had a couple months of offseason workouts, a month of spring ball, then basically a new team again. We had maybe six or seven months to build relationships with new teammates, new quarterbacks, everything.
We weren't divided. The only natural split was offense and defense, which is normal. What really pulled us together was everyone outside the building wanting to see Coach Belichick fail. A lot of people didn't want to see him succeed in his first year in college.
We saw reports saying he wasn't at practice during the bye week while I was literally standing next to him. Stuff like that bonded us — players and staff. It brought us closer. A lot of us are back, and those relationships are already formed. We're building off that.
Q: With a full season under Belichick, how did you adapt to his approach, and what did you learn that will help in year two?
SHIPP:Coach Belichick has a lot of the same characteristics as my high school coach, Coach Greer. He knows what he can get out of you and how far he can push you.
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I don't really see it as adapting. It's something I want. You want a coach in your corner who will push you when you don't feel like being pushed. I'm grateful and blessed to have him as my head coach.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about Belichick from outside the program?
SHIPP:Honestly, pretty much everything.
I think a lot of people see him as this mean, old guy nobody likes. I love Coach Belichick. He's treated me and my family with nothing but respect and love. He talks to my mom, my dad, my little brother. Not every coach does that.
And he was doing that before I had the season I had last year. From the start, we talked not just about football but about life. I know if I ever need anything, I can call him. His sons on the staff are the same way, and he's put together a staff that feels like a family.
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People miss that side of him. He really cares about his players, his staff, and everybody in the building. He'd do anything for us, and I have nothing but love for him.
Q: Was there any intimidation factor for you at first?
SHIPP:Not really for me.
Growing up, I actually didn't watch a lot of NFL football. I watched more college because I love the atmospheres and fan bases. I always knew who he was and that he was a great coach, but I wasn't as locked into his NFL career as some of the other guys.
I just saw him as another coach I'd get to learn from — a great one, but still a coach I could build a relationship with.
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Q: Have you and Belichick talked about personal goals for this spring and season? What are your goals right now?
Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick addresses the media after the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images
SHIPP:We haven't really set personal statistical goals.
My focus is going 1–0 in everything we do every day — winning the weight room, winning offseason workouts, winning conditioning, winning meetings. If you learned something in a meeting, you won that meeting. If you got better in a workout, you won that workout.
In terms of personal goals, I just want to be the best teammate I can be. Whatever the team needs — playing every snap, no snaps, offense, defense, special teams — I'll do it. I want my teammates to know I'm willing to do whatever it takes to help us win.
This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Football: Jordan Shipp talks UNC spring practice
