UNC DB Trey Morrison on the Pass Rush: Them Doing Them Will Help Us Do Us

Versatile defensive back working at safety, hunting big plays

Trey Morrison has started at a number of different positions in the secondary during his three seasons at UNC. This year, he’ll once again put his versatility to good use.

“I’m working at free safety,” he said. “But you know how we move everybody around, put everybody in different positions, but I’m primarily at free safety right now.”

The Tar Heels return several key players at cornerback and the two safety spots this season, but the defensive staff is still trying various combinations to make sure everyone is cross trained.

“We’ve got to get everybody on the same page,” Morrison said. “The transition is going smoothly. We’ve got different people in different places. They’ve just got to get their chemistry back. I think we’ll be great.”

Another positive factor for the secondary this year will be the big men playing in front of them. A deep defensive line should be able to pressure the quarterback, making pass defense easier downfield.

“A strong defensive line means more plays can be made on the back end. We’ve got a lot of good guys, young guys (on the line) and go two or three deep, so we can rotate them,” he said. “Having a big push up front will force people to throw the ball more and create more opportunities for us. They can rush the passer—that’s more opportunities for us for tipped balls, strip sacks, fumbles. All that is going to help us on the back end. Them doing them is going to help us do us.”