UNC Football Film Review: What Jordan Shipp Brings to Table

When it came to watching the 2025 North Carolina Tar Heels, the lowlights dramatically outshone the highlights. There were few of the latter, but those highlights showcased the program's future for 2026.

Heading into the upcoming season, the Tar Heels have completely revamped their offense, with new play-caller Bobby Petrino and incoming transfers at quarterback, in the skill positions, and on the offensive line. It is going to be a totally different unit than the dreadful one from last fall. One of the key returners is one of North Carolina's best players: wide receiver Jordan Shipp.

Shipp UNC — 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 | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Shipp is the subject of my latest film review for Tar Heels On SI. By far, this is the player with the best bet to be the first North Carolina player drafted under head coach Bill Belichick. I'm taking you all on a deep dive into my notes and the film of what I saw from the junior pass-catcher.

Jordan Shipp: The Difference-Maker

Shipp UN — Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) makes a catch in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Smart wide receivers always make plays. Shipp is easily one of the best football IQ players I've watched on the Tar Heels roster so far this offseason, and it's not particularly close at the moment. In each game I watched, Shipp was constantly in a position to make plays on the ball, whether at the catch point or in space.

He was doing many of the little things right, whether it was coming back to the football on stop routes, finding space to attack against zone coverage, sitting in zone voids to make himself available to the quarterback, or adjusting to the ball in midair to come down with contested grabs. This was one of the best players on the field each Saturday; it felt like a crime how the Tar Heels' offensive staff fumbled the opportunity to center the unit around Shipp in 2025 (thank you, Freddie Kitchens).

#UNC didn't have a lot of highlights when it came to Bill Belichick's first season at Chapel Hill in 2025. But WR Jordan Shipp (13 in this game for the late Tylee Craft, 1 in every other) was a constant playmaker. Smart WR w/ salesmanship, effort, good hands, and YAC. pic.twitter.com/nlylqbWjMH
— Jared Feinberg (@Jared_NFLDraft) May 1, 2026

Shipp has outstanding hands. Whether it was an open catch opportunity, contested, or away from his frame, the former 4-star recruit always seemed to come down with the football. According to Pro Football Focus, Shipp had a low drop rate of 4.8 percent, correlating with his strong hand-eye coordination at the catch point.

Shipp was also a great salesman as a route runner, using rocker steps, jab steps, and a variety of subtle movements to attack leverage and create separation. He is a detailed player with good quickness in and out of his breaks; all of this allows him to be a three-level threat as an inside-out wide receiver.

There’s not a ton of true slot-types for the 2027 NFL Draft at the moment, but one of the best is #TarHeels WR Jordan Shipp. Shifty, smart, and quick in short spaces. Impressive hand-eye coordination w/ tracking ability and toughness. pic.twitter.com/LEWMeUKrmR
— Jared Feinberg (@Jared_NFLDraft) July 15, 2026

Last year, Shipp was used all over the formation but spent most of his time in the slot—282 snaps in the slot compared to 126 outside, with a season-high 21 snaps outside in the season finale against NC State. I do question just how effective Shipp can be against physical press defenders with an expanded role as the X-receiver this fall.

I also don't see Shipp as this explosive playmaker. He has good speed, but he won't threaten anyone with pure explosiveness anytime soon. I think Shipp could stand to improve his play strength across the board, especially against more physical corners and on the perimeter as a blocker, though the effort does not lack by any means.

What Shipp Brings to the Table in 2026

Overall, Shipp is one of the top wide receivers in the ACC this fall and will be North Carolina's top offensive playmaker by a significant margin until proven otherwise. He is a top-three player on the roster and will likely hear his name called either in the 2027 or 2028 NFL Draft. I would expect Petrino to make Shipp the focal point of the offense and move him around often to create the best matchups for productive Saturdays this fall.

If Shipp shows ample improvement with play strength and proves to be an effective press technique beater on the perimeter, the sky is truly the limit for the Tar Heels' WR1.

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