Jordan Shipp has done more than enough to prove he can be a difference-maker for the UNC football program's offense.
Now, the Tar Heels need to start treating him like a true No. 1 wide receiver.
Early in the season, Shipp has established himself as one of North Carolina's most reliable weapons in the passing game. When the football comes his way, good things tend to happen.
The problem is that UNC simply hasn't gotten it to him enough.
For an offense still trying to find consistency through the air, making a more concerted effort to get the football into Shipp's hands feels like one of the easiest adjustments the Tar Heels can make moving forward.
UNC needs to find more ways to get Jordan Shipp involved
Will Stein, the head coach of the Kentucky Wildcats, once summed it up perfectly:
"Offensively, our job is to get our best players the ball as many times as possible. Plays are highly overrated. It's about the players... We say 'Feed the Studs.' That's our way to say it. It's not rocket science."
This isn't an argument that North Carolina needs to abandon the running game or suddenly ask Billy Edwards Jr. to throw the football 40 or 50 times per game. It's about making passing-game opportunities count.
Shipp has shown an ability to impact the game at different levels of the field. He can create separation, turn short completions into extra yardage, and give UNC a legitimate threat when it wants to push the ball downfield.
That versatility should give the Tar Heels plenty of ways to manufacture touches for him.
Whether it's screens, quick slants, crossing routes, or simply moving him around before the snap, UNC shouldn't have to wait for the perfect play to develop before getting Shipp involved. Find easy completions. Let him get into a rhythm. Give him opportunities to make something happen after the catch.
Most importantly, don't allow long stretches of games to go by without making him part of the offense.
We've already seen what Shipp can do when he's given opportunities. Against Clemson, he caught six of his seven targets for 68 yards, accounting for nearly half of UNC's receiving production.
Six catches on seven targets.
When almost everything thrown in his direction is resulting in a completion, it raises a pretty obvious question:
Why not go back to him more often?
If North Carolina is going to throw the football 30 times as they did against Clemson, you can't justify Shipp getting only seven targets. Of course, defenses will eventually adjust and come in with a game plan to slow him down, simply not letting him run free over the field, but this is when UNC's offense, led by offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, needs to get creative.
Move him around the formation. Put him in motion. Give him opportunities out of the slot. Design plays that get the football into his hands quickly rather than relying exclusively on traditional dropbacks.
UNC doesn't need Jordan Shipp to touch the football 15 times every Saturday, but he should be garnering targets like the top-tier wide receiver he is.
Shipp has already shown that he can be a major piece of this offense. At this point, the Tar Heels shouldn't wait for opportunities to get him the ball; they should make it a priority every time the offense takes the field.
When one of your most dangerous offensive weapons makes plays whenever you call his number, the solution seems pretty simple: keep finding ways to get him the ball. If he keeps burning the defense, it will open up opportunities for others and help the offense flow throughout the game.
I think we can all agree that the offense has gotten really stagnant over long stretches through three games this season.
As Bill Belichick, Bobby Petrino and the Tar Heels game plan during the bye week in preparation for Notre Dame, they should take the advice of Stein:
"Feed the stud."
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