“Julius has the potential with his talent to be as good as anybody who’s ever played.”
—Veteran quarterback Rodney Peete

“Peppers is not someone I would like to meet up with on a football field—or a basketball court. He’s an enforcer.”
—Penn State basketball coach Jerry Dunn

“He’s one of those rare pass rushers who has a dominant effect on a game. He’s simply a better athlete than any offensive tackle he faces.”
—Duke football coach Carl Franks

“Julius is a freak of nature.”
—Former Tar Heels teammate Ronald Curry

“There are really two Juliuses. He’s normally a quiet, shy, thoughtful kid, but when he puts on a uniform, he can become quite a bully.”
—Julius’s mother Bessie

“I think he’ll be come a prototype for the next generation of defensive ends. He’s got all the ingredients to never get blocked.”
—Former Tar Heels assistant coach Donnie Thompson

“I was in Detroit, and Barry Sanders was the only guy I ever saw who could stop and start like that.”
—Panthers offensive line coach Paul Boudreau

“I can tell you right now that Carolina has never had anybody in the history of the franchise like this guy. He’s going to be a special, special pass-rusher.”
—Boudreau

“The guy defines ‘quiet’.”
—Former Tar Heels teammate Ryan Sims

“Julius has great drive to be a great player. He has played through some bumps and bruises, things that some players won’t fight through. I think he’s a tough young man.”
—Panthers head coach John Fox

“He wants to redefine his position, and he knows that he has to really study film, hit his playbook and learn the subtleties of the game.”
—Former Tar Heels teammate David Thornton

“He’s starting to dictate the action.”
—Panthers defensive coordinator Mike Trgovac