Keeping It Heel
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UNC Football program linked to former SEC wide receiver

By Bryce Wolaver

OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 12: Ja'Corey Brooks #7 of the Alabama Crimson Tide catches a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images)
OXFORD, MISSISSIPPI - NOVEMBER 12: Ja'Corey Brooks #7 of the Alabama Crimson Tide catches a touchdown during the second half of the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium on November 12, 2022 in Oxford, Mississippi. (Photo by Justin Ford/Getty Images) /
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Multiple schools, including the UNC football program, have begun to pursue the former 5-star recruit after he entered the transfer portal last week.

Ja’Corey Brooks has been a productive wide receiver since arriving on the Alabama campus. As a freshman, Brooks had 15 receptions for 192 yards and two touchdowns and followed that up with 39 catches for 674 yards and eight touchdowns during the 2023 season. People around the Alabama football program thought he would produce the same in 2023, but a shoulder injury derailed his season.

Brooks was selected to the preseason All-SEC second team in July, but he finished the season with just three catches for 30 yards and no touchdowns. He suffered a shoulder injury on October 14 against Arkansas, a game where he finished with one catch for 25 yards. Brooks failed to produce in his first two games before injury as well. He recorded one catch for two yards against Ole Miss and one catch for three yards against Mississippi State.

The lack of production and injury troubles forced Brooks to enter the transfer portal. Brooks could have come back to Alabama for the 2024 season, but the improvement from wideouts Isiah Bond and Koby Prentice would make it hard for him to find playing time. Brooks has gained interest from a handful of schools since entering the portal, including the UNC football program.

Brooks would be a huge pickup for the Tar Heels for next season. The UNC football program needs to find a playmaker to replace Devontez Walker, who will forgo his final season of eligibility to enter the NFL Draft.  Brooks would join Kobe Paysour, J.J. Jones, and Nate McCollum in the wide receiver room, a group that features plenty of viable options.

Regardless of who’s throwing him the ball, Brooks has shown the potential to be a No. 1 option on any team. Brooks could come in and make an impact right away, regardless of who is under center.

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