Can Freddie Kitchens’ Physical Approach Deliver for UNC in 2025?

Number one, he has two veteran quarterbacks in Gio Lopez and Max Johnson. While Lopez is the presumed starter, it’s a plus to have a backup who has had as much production as Johnson throughout his career.

Even with Austin Blaske’s injury, which will keep him from touching the field for the first month of the season, the offensive line is deep with a lot of excellent run-blockers, such as Christo Kelly and Daniel King, which will be beneficial for Kitchens’ physical run-first approach.

“Freddie is a very aggressive coach,” North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick said. “He wants to have a physical team, physical running game, physical presence on offense.

Here Comes the Uh-Oh

However, “his” offense at the moment has many question marks.

One of the biggest questions facing North Carolina heading into the 2025 season is who will replace star running back Omarion Hampton. After rushing for more than 1,500 yards in back-to-back seasons — including 1,660 yards and 15 touchdowns in 2024 — Hampton left a massive void in the Tar Heels’ offense. With nearly 40% of last year’s production gone, UNC must find answers quickly as fall camp begins under head coach Bill Belichick.

Sophomore Davion Gause may be the early frontrunner. The 5-foot-11, 215-pound back showed flashes of potential last season, averaging 3.57 yards after contact and breaking 13 tackles on 67 carries. He also posted an impressive 37.5% breakaway run rate. However, consistency remains a concern — he topped five yards per carry in just one of the eight games in which he had five or more rushing attempts.

Another option is Michigan transfer Benjamin Hall. At 5-foot-11 and 235 pounds, Hall fits the mold of the power backs Belichick often relied on in New England. Though his game reps have been limited — only 44 carries for 131 yards in two seasons — Hall excels in pass protection, earning an 82.5 grade from Pro Football Focus.

Caleb Hood, a redshirt sophomore, brings experience but has struggled with injuries, playing just 26 games in four seasons. His best year came in 2022, when he rushed for 250 yards at 5.8 yards per carry.

UNC lacks experience at wide receiver, with Kobe Paysour the only returner with at least 20 catches in 2024. Sophomore Jordan Shipp is expected to take on a bigger role, while Michigan State transfer Aziah Johnson and Chris Culliver Jr. add big-play potential.

Tight end is also in transition after the departures of Byron Nesbit and John Copenhaver, with Texas A&M transfer Jake Johnson and Oklahoma State transfer Jordan Owens leading the group. Depth options like Shamar Easter and Connor Cox offer upside but remain unproven.

“It’s not easy to replace a first-round draft pick at running back, or at any position,” Kitchens said. “But we’ve got some guys that are excited to be here. We’re excited they’re here. And we’ll see where it takes us.”

Mixed Bag as a Playcaller

Kitchens previously served as a playcaller at both the Cleveland Browns and the New York Giants. However, both came in interim roles. However, it’s as mixed as a bag of trail mix — and just as uneven.

Before Freddie Kitchens took over as offensive coordinator in Week 9 of the 2018 season, the Browns’ offense under offensive coordinator Todd Haley and head coach Hue Jackson averaged just 4.87 yards per play (28th in the NFL), with quarterback Baker Mayfield completing 58% of his passes for an 8:6 TD-INT ratio and taking 20 sacks in eight games.

After Kitchens took over, Cleveland’s offensive numbers improved greatly. Yards per play jumped to 6.86, best in the league, and total offense climbed to 395 yards per game. The Browns offensive line improved as sacks allowed plummeted from 4.13 per game to 0.63, with only nine QB hits in the final eight games. 

Mayfield completed 68% of his passes with 19 TDs, eight INTs and a 106.2 rating. He also put up superb numbers on third downs (128.6 rating) and in the red zone (10 TDs on 17-of-20 passing). Kitchens’ schemes featured gave the running backs more than in Haley’s offense as the position became more involved in the passing attack. Running back Nick Chubb benefited greatly from this as he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards, scored 25 total touchdowns in his rookie season.

After he was promoted to head coach in 2019, Kitchens took complete control of the offense. Unfortunately for Kitchens, it wasn’t as successful as 2019. 

The Browns finished 6-10, a step back from their 7-8-1 mark in 2018, which led to his dismissal. They fell from 13th in total offense (368.8 yards per game) and 14th in passing offense (250.4 yards) in 2018 to 22nd in both categories in 2019, averaging 340.9 total yards and 222.1 passing yards. Their scoring offense also slipped, dropping from 21st in 2018 to 22nd in 2019. 

However, the rushing attack was still one of the league’s best and Chubb rushed for 1,494 yards with eight touchdowns.

A year later, he was hired as the tight ends coach for the New York Giants. After then-offensive coordinator Jason Garrett was fired in 2021, Kitchens was named the interim offensive playcaller. Unlike his time in Cleveland, the Giants did not improve when he took over, and they got worse. 

Through the first 10 games under Jason Garrett, the Giants averaged 322.9 yards and 18.9 points per game. When Kitchens took over for the final seven games, the team fell to 236.5 yards and 9.8 points per game. In that stretch, the Giants failed to pass for more than 200 yards in any game, compared with seven such games under Garrett. Their worst passing performance came against the Chicago Bears, when they threw for minus-6 yards in a 29-3 loss.

To be fair to Kitchens, starting quarterback Daniel Jones missed the final six games. Still, it’s difficult to justify a minus-6-yard passing game.

Conclusion

I don’t mind Kitchens being the offensive coordinator. He has playcalling experience, he knows a lot of the holdover players from the previous regime and brings an NFL background in the NFL that matches Belichick’s vision of being the “33rd NFL team.”

However, there will be a lot of questions of whether or not he is the right hire especially with the large amount of eyes on the program.