UNC Football: WR Kobe Paysour ruled out for Duke's Mayo Bowl with injury.

The UNC football program hoped that sophomore wide receiver Kobe Paysour could provide big numbers during the 2023.

Paysour looked well on his way to do that, as he had 22 catches for 282 yards and three touchdowns in his first five games. All was well until he broke his foot in practice leading up to the team's game against the Miami Hurricanes on October 14. Doctor's initially thought Paysour would miss 6-12 but they wanted to see how it was healing, according to reports.

Paysour returned to practice on December 13 and looked ready to play in the bowl game against the West Virginia Mountaineers. The possibility of a return was short lived as it was announced today that Paysour suffered an injury to his other foot, according to Inside Carolina. The Tar Heels will already be without their other star wide receiver Tez Walker due to him opting out to prepare for the NFL Draft in April 2024.

Kobe Paysour had a strong first season with the Tar Heels in 2022, recording 29 catches for 324 yards and four touchdowns in 10 games. Paysour was on pace to shatter those numbers in 2023 before his unfortunate injury. The last game of his 2023 season was his biggest, as he caught three passes for 100 yards and a touchdown in a 40-7 win against Syracuse. The highlight of the game was a 77-yard connection between Drake Maye and Paysour for a touchdown against the Orange.

The UNC football program will look for wide receivers J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum to lead the way in the bowl game. Jones and McCollum had 658 and 428 yards respectively in 2023. The duo also combined for three touchdowns for the UNC football program. Quarterback Conner Harrell will have his hands full trying to find receivers in his first career start under center for North Carolina.

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