ORONO — Noah Carpenter was having fun, and why shouldn’t he? The sun peeked out from behind the clouds just enough to make the steady breeze feel like a fall afternoon instead of the long Maine winter relaxing its grip, and Carpenter was playing football at Alfond Stadium.

Why not let the music playing throughout the University of Maine football team’s annual Jeff Cole Memorial Spring Game inspire a little dance on the 20-yard line between plays? Carpenter was having a blast, and embracing the moment.

“Always a good day when you can come out here with your brothers and have a great time,” Carpenter said. “Football’s a fun sport.”

A Leavitt High graduate, Carpenter arrived at UMaine two years ago after an impressive high school football career in which he led the Hornets to one of the most dominant seasons in state history as a senior. A quarterback/safety in high school, Carpenter won the Fitzpatrick Trophy as the state’s top senior player after the 2023 season.

Jordan Stevens, Maine’s head coach, knew he was getting a football player. He didn’t know where Carpenter would play. Would he stay at quarterback or safety? Maybe tight end or H back? Could the Black Bears convert Carpenter into a full-time punter?

Last spring, Stevens and defensive coordinator Umberto Di Meo moved Carpenter to linebacker. Now, there’s no more position musical chairs. There’s no doubt, Carpenter is in the right place.

In Saturday’s spring game, an intersquad scrimmage, Carpenter was the weakside linebacker with the first-team defense. He did well both in run defense and in pass coverage. Carpenter was in on the first tackle of the day, helping to bring down receiver Evan Wallace after a pass from Eddie Buehler over the middle.

Last season, Carpenter made 32 tackles, including 20 solo and one sack in his first season at his new position. Christian Thomas and Latrell Couchman, the senior leaders of the linebackers last season, helped Carpenter learn how to play the position, the nuances of reading an offense before the snap and getting teammates into the right position to make plays. This season, Carpenter is wearing No. 7, Couchman’s old number.

As a quarterback, Carpenter was adept as scanning the field quickly and reading what could happen before it did. Now he’s applying that skill to the other side of the ball. It’s not that much different, he said.

Stevens and Di Meo say Carpenter is playing with more confidence now that he’s had a full season at linebacker. That experience playing quarterback is a huge asset. The leadership skills are starting to emerge.

“That’s why, selfishly, I wanted him to play linebacker. He does a great job with pre-snap awareness, communication pre- and post-snap,” Di Meo said. “He’s a confident football player, and I think that stems from him playing quarterback. He’s got a knowledge of the game.”

The 6-foot Carpenter arrived at Maine around 205 pounds. He was always rugged and not one to shy from contact. As a quarterback, he would run over a defender rather than try to make a move to fake him out or run out of bounds. Now he’s playing at 232 pounds, big enough to take the abuse he gets from 300-pound offensive linemen, but not so big as to lose his quickness.

Now, Carpenter said, it’s a matter of maintaining his size as good weight. That means watching his diet.

“Definitely got to get more rice and chicken, get some greens in,” he said, patting his stomach. “That’s probably the worst part of my diet. Gotta get the greens in.”

Carpenter has plenty to improve. His tackling improved this spring, Stevens said, and reading his keys are also coming along.

“All his football instincts will take over from there,” Stevens said.

And those instincts are perfectly suited for linebacker. When asked what he likes about the position, Carpenter didn’t hesitate.

“The violence, being physical. It’s something I always thought I had a good mindset for, being physical and playing downhill,” he said.

When the semester ends in a few weeks, Carpenter will go home to Greene for a short visit, then return to Orono in June for summer workouts. Preseason camp opens in August, and the Black Bears begin the season Aug. 27 at Towson.

Throughout the scrimmage Saturday, Carpenter was constantly cheering on teammates. If the smile left his face, it was brief.

“That’s the thing with him, you’re going to get that personality. And that’s something we want from all our players,” Stevens said. “He’s not afraid of the moment, ever. Around the team, he’s just himself.”

In an expanded role next fall in the middle of the defense, with more leadership falling on his shoulders, Carpenter being himself can be a good thing for the Black Bears.