Fall Camp Preview: WR Scouting Report for Belichick, UNC

UNC’s receivers bring speed, size, and untapped potential.

Oct 5, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Kobe Paysour (8) with the ball in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

North Carolina's receiving corps lost does not have a lot of experience coming back and that could be a huge problem for head coach Bill Belichick and the Tar Heel offense.

UNC will not have leading receiver JJ Jones as he has graduated. Also, the Tar Heels lack a significant amount of playing experience in the wide receiver room as the oinly player who returns from last year's team to have at lest 20 catches is Kobe Paysour. Everyone else has less than ten.

Even with the doubts at the wide receiver position, it's a new season with a new play caller and a different quarterback.

Let's take a look at what each wideout brings to the table before the start of fall camp.

Jordan Shipp, Soph. (6-2, 190)

Sep 7, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) duirng a time out in the second quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

A lot of expectations are being put on the Charlotte native this season. How do I know? He was one of four Carolina players at the ACC Kickoff, which shows that Belichick thinks highly of Shipp.

Shipp was a part of the rotation last season as a freshman, catching nine passes for 116 yards and a touchdown. He had nine catches on 16 targets (56.3% catch rate) and only had one drop the whole season.

Shipp will be a starter for the home opener and I think he will have a breakout season.

Kobe Paysour, Sr. (6-1, 190)

Sep 21, 2024; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Kobe Paysour (8) with the ball as James Madison Dukes cornerback KJ Flowe (14) defends in the first quarter at Kenan Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The leading receiver from last season, Paysour had the fourth most targets of any receiver in 2024. He had 22 catches for 369 yards but he did not see the endzone. He did have 16.7 yards per catch, which means he's dangerous in open space.

Paysour was 6-for-13 on contested catches (53.7% catch rate) and had a 41.7% first down catch rate. Throughout his career, he has a 7.6% drop rate, which is solid with the amount of football he's played.

Aziah Johnson, R-Soph. (6-0, 175)

Michigan State's Aziah Johnson runs after a catch against Rutgers during the first quarter on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing. | Nick King/Lansing State Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The redshirt sophomore comes to Chapel Hill via the transfer portal from Michigan State. Johnson played in all 12 games for Sparty. He finished the season with 16 catches for 276 yards and two touchdowns.

He has big-play ability when he catches the ball as he averaged 17.3 yards per catch and 6.8 yards after catch with a long of 52. Johnson has a 64% catch rate and a 44% first down catch rate.

Chris Culliver Jr., Jr. (6-2, 195

He didn't see the field as much as some of the other wideouts on this list as he only had 158 snaps - 95 of which were pass plays.

However, his best game came in the NC State game where he had two catches for 96 yards and a touchdown in a 35-30 loss to the Wolfpack.

You will see Culliver as a member of the rotation.

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