UNC Football: Someone needs to help Drake Maye out

After two games of regular season play, it’s evident that someone within the UNC football program’s receiving core has to help Drake Maye out.

We’re officially two games into the college football regular season, as the UNC football program barely survived in its home opener against Appalachian State.

The sample size is still relatively small, but something was very evident on Saturday night at Kenan Stadium: Drake Maye needs someone within his wide receiver group to step up and fast.

As much as we all want Tez Walker to be able to play, the harsh reality is that it’s not going to happen. Instead of harboring on what Walker would’ve brought to the table, it’s time to go back to the drawing board and find someone among this group to step up to help fill the void.

The Tar Heels were short-handed on Saturday night. Tight end John Copenhaver, who looked to be Maye’s top red-zone target, was essentially a non-factor as he wore a club on his hand just to even play. Reports indicate that Copenhaver broke his hand, which is certainly not good news for the Tar Heels.

After making an impact in the season opener, fellow tight ends Kamari Morales and Bryson Nesbit combined for just one catch for 9 total yards, as Morales had a big drop early on in the game that likely would’ve resulted in a touchdown.

J.J. Jones had a solid performance after essentially being a non-factor in the season opener, while Kobe Paysour continues to be the reliable target among this group for Maye to work with.

Nate McCollum made his return to the field, but he was clearly limited, as he had just one catch in his first game as a Tar Heel.

North Carolina didn’t try to go down the field much against Appalachian State. A lot of the game plan focused on the run (which the Mountaineers simply didn’t have an answer for) and short passes.

Was this a planned attack, or was Mack Brown and company trying to tell us something?

Unlike the last few years, this squad doesn’t seem to possess a true deep-ball threat. Walker was supposed to be that guy, but he’s not able to fill that void.

Is there someone in this group that can?

If not, this is going to be an issue the UNC football program will have to deal with, as teams will try to force them to throw the football downfield.

Although we would like for him to be able to, Drake Maye can’t do it alone. Saturday night wasn’t his strongest effort, but he stepped up in clutch situations, especially the final drive of the fourth quarter. Even within that drive, Maye did most of his damage with his legs, as he essentially found a way to get North Carolina into field goal range.

The Tar Heels seem to be focused on running the football, which has worked over the first two weeks. However, as teams begin to realize this, they will focus on stopping it, which will put even more pressure on the team’s passing game.

Drake Maye is a star who can make things happen. The big question remains: Is there anyone among the wide receivers and tight ends who can step up to help him out?

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