Latest news with #Shipp
USA Today
25-07-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC wide receiver talks team's 2025 offensive potential at ACC Kickoff
Will offense continue to be a bright spot for the UNC football team this fall? Despite 2024 ending in UNC's first losing football record since 2021, offense continued to be a bright spot in Chapel Hill, even with several quarterback changes. Omarion Hampton, who later became the Los Angeles Chargers' first-round NFL Draft Pick in April, cemented himself as one of the best backs in program history. Jacolby Criswell was much-needed at quarterback – without him, North Carolina doesn't get anywhere close to a bowl game. The Tar Heels' offense will look plenty different in 2025, but in a good way. At ACC Kickoff on Thursday afternoon in Charlotte, UNC sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp praised his team's offensive potential this fall, pointing to new offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens as a main reason. 'We're definitely going to be a unique offense," Shipp said. "Don't want to give too much out, but we're going to be unique. We're going to do a lot of different stuff and get a lot of first downs. We're going to score a lot of points. Coach Belichick kept him here for a reason, he obviously liked what he was doing. There's no reason not to trust him 100%. We're going to be unique, we're going to move the ball with different persons, different personnels and a lot of different people.' Shipp played well for a freshman with limited action in 2024, catching nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown, making him one of nine UNC pass-catchers to reach the century mark in receiving yards. Kitchens, formerly North Carolina's tight ends coach and run game coordinator, will now be tasked leading an offense with several new starters at skill positions. Kitchens led the Tar Heels in their Fenway Bowl appearance, taking over for the then-recently-fired Mack Brown. 2024 starter Max Johnson, who spent most of last season rehabbing a broken leg suffered in the opener at Minnesota, will compete with South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez for the starting quarterback gig. Davion Gause returns much-needed production at running back, while Shipp and Kobe Paysour will lead a new-look receiving corps. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
UNC wide receiver speaks on staying in Chapel Hill with Bill Belichick arrival
UNC wide receiver speaks on staying in Chapel Hill with Bill Belichick arrival Will Jordan Shipp become one of Bill Belichick's top offensive producers this fall? The transfer portal dictates how college football rosters are shaped today, with UNC being a prime example heading into its 2025 season. North Carolina replaced its entire starting defensive line through the portal, headlined by names like Pryce Yates and CJ Mims. The Tar Heels also snagged several offensive linemen in the portal, likely starting quarterback Gio Lopez, a pair of star linebackers and top-ranked cornerback Thaddeus Dixon. Add in coaching changes – and roster loyalty dwindles even further. UNC hired 8-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick to be its head coach in December, hoping to bring a consistent winning culture to Chapel Hill. Expected 2025 starters for North Carolina transferred out of Chapel Hill, but several guys stayed. One key player who decided to stay a Tar Heels is sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp, who caught nine passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in 2024. Shipp recently spoke on his decision to stay. "It's hard to transfer from a school that you love so much," Shipp told the media. "I've had a lot of friends that came here, a lot of friends that have been successful here – and it's also hard to leave the greatest coach of all time. Knowing you have one of the greatest coaches of all time coming here, it wouldn't have been smart for me to leave.' With no J.J. Jones or Nate McCollum, expect to see Shipp earn starting minutes in 2025. Joining Shipp in the wideout room are Michigan State transfer Aziah Johnson, Colorado transfer Adrian Wilson and Washington transfer Jason Robinson Jr., while the likes of Javarius Green, Chris Culliver and Paul Billups are 2024 holdovers. Follow us @TarHeelsWire on X and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.
Los Angeles Times
16-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Chase Shipp, Corinna Ruffini medal at CIF State Diving Championships
Laguna Beach High senior Chase Shipp and Newport Harbor junior Corinna Ruffini each medaled at the CIF State Diving Championships on Thursday at Clovis Olympic Swim Complex. Shipp, bound for Harvard, finished fourth place in the boys' competition with 509.55 points. Ruffini, a University of Houston commit, was fifth in the girls' competition with 451 points. Shipp, making his third appearance at the CIF State Championship meet, earned his best finish. He was seventh last year as a junior and sixth as a sophomore. The two-time CIF Southern Section champion said in a text message that his dives felt less consistent than they had been lately, but he couldn't complain about fourth place. 'As I close out my high school dive career I especially want to thank my coach, Curt Wilson, for his steadfast support,' Shipp said. 'I'm looking forward to seeing the next group of Laguna divers on the podium at CIF. Go Beach!' Ruffini earned her first medal at the state meet, as she finished 14th last year as a sophomore. 'It was a super fun meet with some good competition!' she said in a text message. 'I've been pretty sick all week and haven't been able to practice at all, so I really surprised myself with my performance since I wasn't feeling my best. I'm hoping that next year I can come back in better health and hopefully take the title as state champ!' Newport Harbor junior Violet Carone finished 11th at state finals in the girls' competition, while Edison sophomore Allison McNichols placed 18th.
Los Angeles Times
08-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
4 local high school divers advance to CIF State meet
WALNUT — Laguna Beach High senior Chase Shipp saved the best for last on Tuesday afternoon at the CIF State diving qualifier. He nailed his sixth and final dive, a reverse 1 ½ somersault 2 ½ twist free. The seven judges gave him a total score of 64.50, his top mark of the day. 'I was really happy with it,' Shipp said. 'I knew that I had to hit it to hopefully get first. I would have liked another four points on it hopefully, but it's all good. I felt the board really move well under my feet, and felt the entry line up pretty well.' Shipp ended up placing a close second to Grant Schneider of Capistrano Valley Christian at the qualifier meet, held at Mt. San Antonio College. The effort was more than enough to get him to next week's CIF State Meet for the third time. Edison sophomore Allison McNichols and Newport Harbor juniors Corinna Ruffini and Violet Carone also advanced to the state meet. Diving finals for boys and girls will be held May 15 at Clovis Olympic Swim Complex. McNichols qualified third from the CIF Southern Section on the girls' side, with Ruffini in fifth. Carone took the sixth and final qualifying spot, among the 12 divers assembled for Tuesday's meet. The conditions were cool and misty Tuesday, so the hot tub was the area of choice when the divers weren't actually executing their 1-meter dives. 'It could be a lot worse,' noted Shipp, who is bound for Harvard University. 'Last weekend, up at Novato [at the USA Diving Junior Region 10 Championships], 20 miles per hour gusts were literally blowing people off of the boards.' Shipp, who won his second straight CIF Southern Section Division 2 title last week, has little left to prove but is looking for a solid meet to cap his high school diving career. He finished seventh at the state meet last year, and sixth as a sophomore. 'I'm just going in there hoping to do as well as possible,' he said. 'I don't see a big difference in it being senior year. I'm just going out every time to do the best I can.' McNichols is headed to the state meet for the first time, and said she was thrilled. She started strong on Tuesday, with her first dive, an inward 1 ½ somersault pike, netting her a score of 50.40 that tied for her best. 'That's probably my favorite dive,' she said. 'I feel like that dive, I always hit really good. I really like it. At practice it's always a good, solid, consistent dive for me.' Newport Harbor's Ruffini and Carone are headed to the state meet for the second and first time, respectively. Ruffini, who finished second at the Division 1 finals, overcame a rough start with her second dive Tuesday. Her final dive, a forward 2 ½ somersault tuck, earned a score of 50.40 that was tops among girls' divers in the sixth round. 'My first two dives weren't my best, but I definitely came back,' she said. 'My last few, I had better scores on, which I was really stoked about. At state, I'm just going to need to be a little bit more consistent. That's definitely something that I've been working on this year, consistency.' With only the top six divers in each gender moving on, other locals saw their seasons end Tuesday. Newport Harbor junior Nikka Asgarian placed eighth at the qualifying meet on the girls' side, while Edison senior Ian Dien finished 12th on the boys' side. Asgarian, who dives club for Crown Valley Divers along with Shipp and Carone, was one of the most vocal in encouraging her fellow competitors after strong dives. McNichols and Ruffini dive for Coast Divers, which is headed up by Newport Harbor coach Kaeden Cogbill. 'We're not just competitors, we're all really good friends,' Shipp said. 'It's a really tight-knit community. That's one of the things that makes diving so much fun, instead of just intense, that collaborative community.'
Los Angeles Times
02-05-2025
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Laguna Beach's Chase Shipp repeats as CIF diving champion
Chase Shipp has been a top diving talent for all four years of his high school career at Laguna Beach. He placed second in CIF Southern Section Division 1 as a freshman and sophomore, winning the Division 2 title last year as a junior. Make that back-to-back crowns for Shipp, who repeated as Division 2 boys' diving champion on Wednesday at the Marguerite Aquatics Complex in Mission Viejo. He scored 565.80 points, edging out second-place Braeden Valenzuela of San Juan Hills (555.10). 'The meet was really well run and I had some tough but fun competition,' said Shipp, a Harvard commit who also competes for Crown Valley Divers, in an email. 'My friend and teammate Braeden set the bar really high and smoked every one of his dives. I can't wait to see him take the top spot next year.' Newport Harbor also had some female divers who were up to the task at the Division 1 finals Thursday. Junior Corinna Ruffini finished in second place, followed by teammates Violet Carone in fifth and Nikka Asgarian in eighth. Ruffini, a University of Houston commit who was fifth in Division 1 last year, scored 526.40, just behind El Segundo freshman Reilly Stebbins (528.05). She also competes for Coast Divers. Edison sophomore Allison McNichols finished seventh in Division 1 on the girls' side, while Chargers senior Ian Dieh placed third on the boys' side. Each of the aforementioned local divers has qualified for the boys and girls state qualifier Tuesday at Mt. San Antonio College at 2 p.m. The top six at that meet will qualify for the CIF State Championship meet on May 17 at Clovis West High.
