UNC Football Position Preview: Wide Receiver

We break down the wide receiver position for the UNC Football program as we preview the 2018 season for the Tar Heels

QB | RB |

Nathan Elliott has been freshly minted as the Tar Heel’s starting quarterback after the team suspended Chazz Surratt for four games this year. His supporting cast on offense will largely be responsible for his and the team’s success this season. The group who will carry most of that burden will undoubtedly be the wide receivers.

Last season, UNC’s wideouts underperformed in arguably the worst offense Larry Fedora has fielded in his time with the team. Their lack of success wasn’t due to a scarcity of talent but to a combination of inconsistency at quarterback, injury, and inexperience.

Things have been trending up for the group this offseason with key players returning from injury and young guys stepping up in camp. This was until 13 players were suspended for selling team-issued shoes, including emerging sophomore receiver Beau Corrales. Losing one of Elliott’s favorite targets for four games will hurt, but UNC should have the talent to fill his shoes in the meantime.

Fedora will need his pass-catchers to build on last season if his spread offense is to return to form this fall.

2017 Review

A much-maligned group of receivers was led by an absolute stud in Anthony Ratliff-Williams. His 35 receptions for 630 yards and six touchdowns doesn’t jump off the stat sheet at first glance.

However, the fact that he led UNC in all those categories certainly catches your eye. Another thing that grabs your attention is his two touchdowns in the return game and two passing. His versatility and explosive skill set were perhaps the brightest spots during a lost season.

Aside from Ratliff-Williams, the Tar Heels graduated their second and third most prolific receiving options in Austin Proehl and Jordan Cunningham. The two combined for 645 yards and two touchdowns on the season. Proehl more than likely would have led UNC in receiving yards if a broken left clavicle didn’t cost him six games.

Proehl wasn’t the only veteran lost to injury as Thomas Jackson (2016 FSU hero), played a mere three games before being lost for the season.

As top receiving options for the Heels found themselves in street clothes on the sidelines, young players began to emerge. Freshmen Beau Corrales and Dazz Newsome stepped up in their wake and became reliable options for their equally young quarterbacks. The two have the potential to build off their early success and become big time players for the program.

Depth Chart

Going into training camp the presumed WR depth chart is as follows:

First String: Anthony Ratliff-Williams, Dazz Newsome, Thomas Jackson

Second String:  Dyami Brown, Roscoe Johnson, Beau Corrales*

Key Reserves:  Antoine Green, Austin Chrismon, Juval Mollette

The top three receivers seem to be set with Jackson coming back from injury. Johnson or Brown continuing to build on a strong spring could result in either cracking the starting rotation sooner than later.

However, they’ll have to battle out Corrales when he returns from suspension as he proved to be one of Elliott’s favorite targets over the stretch last season.

Newsome has many at Chapel Hill excited for his future with the program. As a freshman, he showed he could stretch the field vertically and caught 18 balls for 227 yards in limited action.

Chrismon and Green have both worked with the second-team receivers during the offseason. The latter comes in as a more heralded prospect whom many expect to become a huge weapon for the program. Chrismon, originally a walk-on, has caught a lot of balls out of the slot during the spring. Both Chrismon and Green will start as key role players and hopefully turn into reliable options by season’s end.

What to expect?

Don’t be surprised if the receivers struggle early before eventually finding their groove. The Tar Heels have a  tough three-game stretch to start the season before eventually settling into conference play.

The offense is inexperienced as a whole, especially at quarterback. However, Elliott maturing behind center over the course of the season will result in better opportunities for his receivers.

Expect Ratliff-Williams to come out and have a stellar season in Carolina Blue. The junior is feeling more comfortable than ever in his role and is poised to turn some heads. He will more than likely lead UNC in nearly every receiving category and possibly go for 1000+ yards on the season.

Jackson will finally get his chance to be a marquee player on offense after starting his career as a walk-on. The senior showed he can be a playmaker after catching four balls for 75 yards against Louisville last season.

The combination of Johnson and Brown will prove to be key depth early with a chance to put up numbers as they gain experience.

Corrales should be a top target in the end zone after his return from suspension. The Texas native has the size at 6-foot-4 to win jump ball scenarios and improve upon his three receiving touchdowns from last season.

Who will have the biggest impact?

Anthony Ratliff-Williams.

This was an easy decision as Ratliff-Williams will not only have the biggest impact at receiver but on the entire offense. Also, he will continue to make a name for himself in the return game where he was named an All-ACC First Team specialist in 2017.

The Matthews native will put UNC’s single-season all-purpose yardage record on notice. Last year he recorded 1,612 total yards, just 409 yards short of Don McCauley’s record 2,021 in 1970. An uptick in targets on offense could easily see a new name atop the record books in Chapel Hill.

Ratliff-Williams will not only be playing for his team but for an NFL future as well. He firmly has the attention of draft scouts after coming out of nowhere last season. The Sports Xchange currently has him as their 21st ranked receiver in this year’s class. This is well in draftable range as 30+ receivers hear their named called every offseason.

Ratliff-Williams will bring the excitement every Saturday, but whether his play can help equal wins will rely majorly on the quarterback. UNC finding consistent play behind center will not only help improve his draft stock but the team performance as a whole.