UNC Football: Josh Downs on pace for record-breaking season
Sophomore wide receiver Josh Downs is on pace to shatter a number of UNC football records.
North Carolina wide receiver Josh Downs is on pace for one of the best statistical seasons in program history. Just one month into his sophomore campaign, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound speedster is showing exactly why ESPN college football analyst Kirk Herbstreit pegged Downs as his breakout star for the 2021-22 season.
Downs has already amassed 32 receptions for 452 yards and five touchdowns on the season. He’s second in the ACC and top 10 nationally in all three of the aforementioned categories. He’s also second in the conference with a 113 yard-per-game average, and a 14-yard punt return average. Furthermore, Downs is third in the nation with 21 first downs and 273 yards after the catch.
He’s surpassed 100 yards receiving twice already — and 200 yards in a 59-39 win over the Virginia Cavaliers — and has at least one touchdown in every game. He’s the first Tar Heel receiver to hit pay dirt at least once in each of the first four games of a season in 42 years. In the process, he’s becoming a popular early pick for All-ACC honors, and has been named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List.
Downs’ stats to this point are quite staggering, and if he continues on his current pace, he’ll obliterate a number of North Carolina records. He’s hauled in eight receptions in all four games so far, and if he averages at least that for the remaining eight games of the season, he’ll tie Ryan Switzer’s record of 96 catches back in 2016. His 113 receiving yards per game put him on pace for 1,356 for the season, which would put him well past Hakeem Nicks’ 2008 record of 1,222. He’s also pacing for 15 touchdowns in 12 games, which would catapult him past Nicks, Dwight Jones and Dyami Brown — all of whom had a dozen scores in their respective record-setting seasons.
And even if Downs doesn’t do all or any of the aforementioned, he’s still going to put up terrific numbers in his sophomore season at UNC. He’ll be a preseason favorite for just about every offensive/receiving category next year, and has a chance to improve his already rising stock greatly before entering the NFL Draft in 2023 or 2024.
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