UNC Football Preview: Wide receiver

Our UNC Football previews for the 2019 season continue with the wide receiver position

QB | RB

The North Carolina Tar Heels football program has had its fair share of struggles over the past two seasons but there is still talent on this roster. This offense may not be what the Tar Heels have wanted it to be but a new Air Raid offense is being installed and UNC has some playmakers that should benefit from it.

Our last preview featured the running back position which just might be the deepest on the roster for UNC but now we focus or attention on the wide receivers.

This unit has playmakers and with stability at quarterback in this offense, they could shine in 2019. But that is a big question mark as Mack Brown and his staff haven’t named a starter yet and over the past two seasons, UNC hasn’t had that stability at the position.

Let’s take a look at the wide receiver position going into 2019:

WHAT WE KNOW

I said it above and I’ll say it again. There are playmakers at this position on offense, they just need some stability at quarterback. Whoever wins the job needs to be able to help these receivers by delivering accurate throws and giving them a chance to rack up the yards after catch.

This is a young but talented group that is really deep.

There are going to be some frustrating times like there has been in the past but you just have that feeling that this is a position ready to breakout. After losing Anthony Ratliff-Williams to the NFL last season, there’s an opportunity for one of these receivers to step up and be a leader. Early on it would be beneficial if a player could develop into that leadership role and be that “go-to” receiver in this offense.

The top candidate for that department is Dazz Newsome.

The speedy receiver is entering his junior year with the Tar Heels and has already flashed his potential as a freshman and sophomore the past two seasons. Newsome not only plays a role as a receiver but he’s also a return man on special teams. He’s the ideal candidate to breakout and become that true number one receiver that could thrive in this Air Raid offense.

Speaking of Air Raid…

That’s the new offense that coordinator Phil Longo has installed for this upcoming season, a change in UNC’s offensive philosophy. Get used to seeing a fast-paced offense that is based around throwing the football.

UNC is attempting to be one of those teams that will get up and down the field in a hurry while putting points on the board. To do that though, they need to be deep and have talent at the receiver position for this offense to succeed.

Longo wants to get the ball to his receivers in space and let them make plays. Expect a lot of designed screens that allow receivers to do some damage and possibly make for long gains.

Another player to watch out for is sophomore Dyami Brown. In his freshman season, Brown showed off his ability to rack up yards after the catch. He will likely play in the slot this year as the Tar Heels are hoping to create mismatches for him and let him do his thing in space.

I love the depth at the position and it’s one of the strengths of this offense. The Tar Heels are returning some experienced players alongside Newsome including Brown, Corrales, Antoine Green, and Toe Groves along with some talented freshmen.

THE KEY PLAYERS

Dazz Newsome

The No. 1 receiver in UNC’s offense could have a big breakout year for the Tar Heels under Long and Brown. Newsome has all of the tools to be that go-to guy in this offense and let’s hope that happens in 2019.

2018 stats: 44 receptions, 506 yards and 2 touchdowns.

Dyami Brown

Another receiver with good speed, Brown returns for his second season at UNC after playing in 10 games last year and starting 6. While Brown has some big play ability, we didn’t see it often a year ago.

Not having consistency at quarterback may have hurt Brown’s production so hopefully in 2019, that changes.

2018 stats: 17 receptions, 173 yards and 1 touchdown.

Khafre Brown

The four-star receiver is a BURNER. He was ranked as the No. 213 player overall in his class and was a big get for Brown and his staff.

We talked about screens earlier in this article, expect Brown to get the ball in space and have a chance to make a play. We could also see him be used as a legit deep threat in this offense to take the top off the defense.

2018 stats: N/A

OUTLOOK

As mentioned above, consistency at quarterback will really play a big role on how this position group performs.

There is a load of talent at this position with 9 guys likely to see action and possibly more depending on injuries. With the talent that is on this roster, there will be plenty of guys to spread the football around.

But even with that, the key guys to watch this season will be Newsome, Dyami Brown, and Corrales. The three should be the starters going into the year and will be looked upon to provide some production. Behind them, freshmen Khafre Brown and Emery Simmons could see some key time in their first seasons.

Sophomore Antoine Green showed that he is good going up and getting the football over defenders but we’d like to see him take that next step this season. Can Green be a good possession receiver when UNC needs to pick up a first down? He has the tools to do so, he just needs that playing time.

Overall, I think expectations for this unit are big. With both Ratliff-Williams and Thomas Jackson gone, the opportunity is there for some of these guys to step up. But will they?

DEPTH CHART

Starters: Dazz Newsome (Jr.), Beau Corrales (Jr.), Dyami Brown (So.),
Backups: Khafre Brown (Fr.),Antoine Green (So.), Emery Simmons (Fr.), Toe Groves (Jr.), J.T. Cauthen (Fr.), Roscoe Johnson (Jr.)
Reserves: Corey Bell Jr. (Sr.), Welton Spottsville (Fr.), Austyn Chestnut (So.), Austin Chrismon (So.), Jeffery Saturday (Fr.), Mason Laurence (So.), Carson Burgess (R-Fr.),