UNC Football: 2022 Positional Preview: Tight Ends
By Mark DeMott
The UNC football team has some intriguing weapons at the Tight End position on the roster this year to work with.
There are plenty of positions on the UNC football program’s offense with question marks heading into this season. One position where that is not the case is tight end.
The Tar Heels have a combination of proven production, experience, and young talent in the tight end room. With the trio of Kamari Morales, Bryson Nesbit, and John Copenhaver, North Carolina has some reliable depth at this position.
Our Positional Preview series continues with the Tight Ends.
What We Know
One thing we know is that with Antoine Green out for the time being, the Tar Heels will need more help in the receiving game from their tight ends. Luckily for the Heels, tight end is arguably the deepest position on the entire offense.
Even after the graduation of Garrett Walston, Carolina will be returning three tight ends that caught touchdown passes last season. With the lack of proven talent at wide receiver (other than Josh Downs), North Carolina will need their tight ends to become reliable “security blankets” for freshman quarterback Drake Maye.
It is apparent that Head Coach Mack Brown feels good about what his team has at this position. When he announced the depth chart at his press conference this Monday, he had this to say about his tight ends:
"“All three tight ends have played really well. We feel like all three are “blue-team” players. All three will play. Sometimes two of the could be in at the same time, maybe three. We are pleased with our tight ends.”"
This is one of the few positions on offense where the Tar Heels have experienced players that have already proven that they can contribute at the college level.
The Key Players
Kamari Morales
Kamari Morales is the most seasoned of the three tight ends. As the most experienced member of the bunch, the Buck Lake, Florida native caught five touchdown passes last season. This marked the first time a Tar Heel tight end had done so in nearly 20 years.
Morales was near the top of nearly every statistical category for the UNC passing game in 2021. He finished 3rd in receptions, 4th in receiving yards, and tied for 2nd in touchdown receptions. When factoring in the injury to Antoine Green, Morales becomes 2nd among returners in each of these categories, trailing only Josh Downs.
The big man is also the player who caught Drake Maye’s only collegiate touchdown pass to this point, a four-yard snag against Wofford. Let’s hope the chemistry between these two continues to grow and Morales can become a safe target as Maye gets his feet under him.
2021 Stats: 24 receptions, 220 receiving yards, 5 touchdowns
Bryson Nesbit
One of the sleeping giants on this year’s roster, Bryson Nesbit is a potential breakout candidate for the UNC offense. Often considered a wide receiver in a tight end’s body, many fans are expecting a huge year for the sophomore.
Even while spending much of the year behind Garrett Walston and Morales, Nesbit still worked his way onto the field for meaningful snaps in his freshman year. His best game came on one of the biggest stages, catching 3 passes for 50 yards on the road at Notre Dame.
It would not be a shock if Nesbit also takes some snaps at wide receiver, especially while Antoine Green is out. As a player who has NFL potential, he is definitely someone to look out for this season.
2021 Stats: 7 receptions, 154 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
John Copenhaver
Copenhaver is a redshirt sophomore who saw time both at tight end and on special teams last season. He was widely considered a Top-20 tight end in his high school class, so the talent is there.
Although he only caught two passes last season, one was a crucial touchdown in the three-point win over Miami. Brown has made it clear that he isn’t scared to play two or possibly even three tight ends at a time, so Copenhaver should get more meaningful snaps throughout the year. It will be nice for the UNC football program to know that they have some depth at the tight end position, given all of the question marks at wide receiver.
2021 Stats: 2 receptions, 9 receiving yards, 1 touchdown
Outlook
The tight end position is arguably the offensive group that the coaching staff is most confident in heading into Saturday’s season opener. There are multiple talented players in the tight end room that know what it is like to play in the ACC, which can’t be said about some other spots.
Overall, I would expect another good year for Morales, and an increase in production for both Nesbit and Copenhaver. With the injury to Greene and inexperience among the receiving core, Drake Maye will be looking for his tight ends as a safety outlet throughout the year.
Make sure to keep a close eye on Nesbit, who could emerge as one of the top players in the ACC if he is able to reach his full potential.
Depth Chart
STARTER(s): Kamari Morales, Bryson Nesbit
BACKUP: John Copenhaver
RESERVES: Will Crowley, Kendall Karr, Jake Young
Next. Positional Previews: Wide Receiver. dark
Follow us @KeepingItHeel on Twitter and like our fan page on Facebook for continued coverage of UNC football news, updates, and recruiting.