North Carolina Football Should be Thankful for Jordan Shipp

It has not been the season that the North Carolina Tar Heels had hoped for when they hired Bill Belichick as the team's head coach this past offseason. After losing to the Duke Blue Devils last weekend, North Carolina's hopes of reaching and qualifying for a bowl game instantly vanished.

Although the season has been a major disappointment, the Tar Heels' fanbase and coaching staff should be thankful for one specific player. That player is sophomore wide receiver Jordan Shipp.

Following that loss last weekend, Shipp reflected on the season while mourning for fellow teammates who were closing in on their collegiate careers.

Shipp's Thoughts

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) scores a touchdown during the second half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

"Man, it sucks. I just went there, just hugged Kobe [Paysour] and told him I love him," Shipp said. "Man, so that's all you could do. Man, like I said, I was [not playing for me]. I wanted to win that for Kobe, and [we] just came up short, but Kobe balled out. A lot of our seniors balled out. They all made plays. He made some great plays on the ball, and everybody left it all out there. We [were just a couple plays away. Just a couple plays away.”

Shipp's humility and sympathy for his fellow receivers was more important than his disappointment in the game itself. The sophomore receiver was more concerned about Paysour's mindset and feelings in that moment.

However, that fire and competitive spirit remained with Shipp, and is a driving force for him to perform at his best against North Carolina State.

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) scores a touchdown as Richmond Spiders defensive back Lee Bruner IV (19) defends in the first quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

"Yeah, of course. It's a rivalry game, you know, playing for the bell. I expected for there to be a fight after the game to be honest with you," Shipp said. "Well, we expect the same thing next week. We expect those guys to be just as chippy, and we are going to bring that same energy as well, so we're going to match it and bring it more.”

The second-year receiver has 581 yards and five receiving touchdowns through 11 games this season. Those numbers may not scream strong production, but considering who Shipp has throwing him the football every week, those statistics are quite impressive.

Nov 8, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) celebrates with quarterback Gio Lopez (7) after scoring a touchdown in the fourth quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With all due respect to Gio Lopez, the junior quarterback is not good enough to supply a receiver with consistent, catchable targets.

This season may have been one of the biggest letdowns for North Carolina fans, but Shipp is set to return next season, barring any movement in the transfer portal, and because of that, the Tar Heels' future is still bright if they can develop a quarterback.

Nevertheless, North Carolina should be thankful that Shipp wears the sky-blue jersey each and every Saturday.

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