Demon June Climbs Up Depth Chart, Runs Through Richmond

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Coming out of Jacksonville (N.C.), Demon June’s eyes were opened to the college game when the team had its first day of padded practice.

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“That pass pro pickup drill, I got put on my butt,” June said on Saturday. “But it’s part of the game. That was my ‘welcome to college moment.’ But I thank the guys for that, because it’s shaped me into being the guy I am now.”

Physicality isn’t one of June’s shortcomings, as the 5-foot-11, 215-pound running back passes the eye test when he’s on the field. But from that early experience, he learned to become a player who administers pain on the college level.

June, as Bill Belichick described it, started at the bottom of the running back depth chart at North Carolina. He didn’t receive a carry in the team’s opener against TCU. But after three games, the true freshman is North Carolina’s leading rusher.

June — who grew up going by “Juju” — recorded an early career-high 148 rushing yards on 14 carries on Saturday, including a 45-yard touchdown run in a 41-6 home victory for North Carolina against Richmond. He also caught one pass for 19 yards that led to a UNC touchdown three plays later. When he got the ball, June didn’t waste any time working his way up the Kenan Stadium field.

“Going north and south, that’s the fastest way to get somewhere,” June said after the game. “So when you’re trying to score, you just put your head down and run.”

Against Charlotte, June made an impression on his first collegiate carries with his bruising style of play. His bursts of speed combined with his strength allowed him to run through defenders to pick up extra yards. In his performance against Richmond on Saturday, he used his cutting ability to evade tacklers at the first point of confrontation and reel off some big runs.

June received the ball on an end-around play and rushed it straight up the left, getting by one defender and running for 50 yards. He was brought down at the 8-yard line, though, something his teammates teased him about after the drive. The freshman made up for it in the fourth quarter, taking a handoff up the middle and ripping a 45-yard touchdown run to push the Tar Heels past 40 points.

“It’s fun watching him,” Gio Lopez said. “You watch him grow. I didn’t get to see his spring, but I got to watch him throughout fall camp, watch him grow as a runner, as a player, just get more confident, and he just runs hard.”

June said he didn’t worry too much about the players ahead of him on the depth chart during spring and fall practice. Some in the group had more experience than him and played bigger roles for UNC in the opener against TCU. But he played his way onto the field for Week 2, and he carried that momentum into Saturday.
 
“You don’t really focus on things like that,” June said. “You just play your game, stay down, try to stay consistent day by day. It’s a good, (competitive room) with other guys like Bullet (Davion Gause) and Hoodie (Caleb Hood) and Ben (Benjamin Hall). Just having them to push me every day to be able to showcase this stuff, it just felt good. But once you’re all in a room with each other, you’re trying to fight for a spot.”

June’s ability to go downhill in the last two games has gotten him on the field for a North Carolina team still looking to establish its primary playmakers on offense. The team’s games against Charlotte and Richmond provided opportunities for UNC to work in its depth pieces while continuing to formulate some cohesion, and June took advantage in the wins.

Along the way, June continues to learn the small details within the offense, but he’s been given the opportunity to showcase his game with his aggressive running style and willingness to improve, helping him stand out early.

“He’s a strong, one-cut runner,” Belichick said. “There’s not a lot of dodging when he gets the ball. He gets a crease and can accelerate through it with some power. He’s hard to bring down with an arm tackle, and he can step through some soft tackles. So that’s his style. And if he can just continue to play to that, if we can create some creases for him, we saw it last week in Charlotte and again today, I think that’s how he can be effective. We’re not talking about Gale Sayers here, I mean, this isn’t like a scat back kind of guy, but he can hit it and go. And that’s what he does best, so hopefully we can get him in that situation.”

June leads North Carolina’s running backs this season with 200 rushing yards on 8.7 yards per carry. He was one of two backs to receive a carry on Saturday, with Gause being the other.

June originally committed to play for North Carolina when Mack Brown was the head coach, but as a “North Carolina kid,” he opted to maintain his commitment to the Tar Heels after Belichick arrived. He said he watched now-Los Angeles Chargers running back Omarion Hampton play when attending UNC’s games as a recruit, and like Hampton often would, June gave his offensive line a lot of credit after Saturday’s win.

June cited consistency and a will to get better as driving factors for his improvement. His production and continual increase in opportunity could provide the Tar Heels with a reliable playmaker on the ground.

“At this point, he’s continued to make good progress,” Belichick said. “Can’t let today go to his head. He’s still got a long way to go, but he’s got a great future. If he can keep doing the same things he’s been doing to get to where he is, then he’s got a chance to grow and develop.”