One of the best parts of ACC Kickoff is getting to ask about players from the Triad I covered when they were in high school. Today, I got to ask Virginia Tech’s starting quarterback Braxton Burmeister what we could expect from one Tre’ Turner, the outstanding wide receiver out of Northwest Guilford who used to line up opposite that dude from Appalachian State, Thomas Hennigan.
“I think Tre’s really grown up as a person and he’s ready for a breakout year this year. He’s obviously already done a ton for our program and I think this is really the year for him to shine.”
North Carolina was up next, and the message I kept hearing from Mack Brown was that he was tired of all the “sugar” (his words, not mine) being sprinkled on them and they needed to brush it off and get to work. Naturally, I asked him to hype up freshmen Jahvaree Ritzie and Raneiria ‘RaRa’ Dilworth, the two stud defenders late of the Glenn Bobcats. Well, not exactly hype but I did ask coach Brown what it would take for them to contribute this season.
“I do think when a freshman come in January now he’s like a sophomore or at least a redshirt freshman by the time he plays in the fall. He’s had the offseason, been in college for a year and a summer, so they’re much more prepared than someone who comes in the middle of June.”
Linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel, who is on the cusp of surpassing Lawrence Taylor in career sacks, said he’s already been in the ears of both players.
“Jahvaree and RaRa are pretty much in the same category. They are both physically ready to play football. Ritzie’s only 265 pounds, 270, but he’s strong as an ox. RaRa’s 210, 215 but runs like a 4.4. I told them, ‘Both of y’all are capable of playing on Saturday’s right now if you really want to. The biggest step to playing college football from high school is learning the playbook.”
“I told (Dilworth) that you’re not going to be able to play fast until you know what you’re doing. You can be the fastest person in the world but if you don’t know what you’re doing you’re going to pop and it’s going to be messed up. So I think the film room, for them, is the biggest thing.”
Side note: Jahvaree was the quarterback on my son’s 8th grade football team. He was a monster then but everyone is glad that he’s not a quarterback anymore.
Finally, let me tell you: Triangle media are (rightly) excited about the prospect of covering a UNC team that could be pretty good, along with a potential Heisman campaign (that’s actually not a campaign because they aren’t promoting it).
Random notes: Local legends Conor O’Neill and Chris Lea are in the house. I’m going to try and get Chris to teach me how to do a Hurricanrana. #IYKYK
