The Tar Heels have a lot of offensive talent to replace coming into the 2021 season. Dazz Newsome and Dyami Brown, top 2 WRs, are gone to the NFL. Michael Carter and Javonte Williams, arguably the best running back duo in the entire country last year, are also on NFL rosters. But there are reasons to believe that Josh Downs and Khafre Brown are ready to fill those shoes and the addition of Ty Chandler was huge to help fill the void in the backfield. One position with no question marks is at QB so let's start the offensive preview there.
QBs
The Tar Heels QB room is steady for years to come. Not much needs to be said about Howell because you know what you are going to get with him but we are going to get into it anyway. Sam Howell has 2 years under his belt as he goes into presumably his last year in a Tar Heel uniform. The preseason heisman candidate has been a steady force under center since he got to Chapel Hill. He has had one of the best two year starts to a career in ACC history. He threw for 3,586 last year which included 30 touchdowns and 7 interceptions. He led one of the best offenses in the country to 41.7 points a game and 301.4 passing yards per game. Howell has been clutch his entire time at UNC. Some guys just have it, Howell is one of those guys. He has the highest 4th quarter QBR in the country since 2019. He has the best deep ball in the country. Don’t @ me on that. He is a better pure QB than Spencer Rattler. I said what I said. He has had a tendency to force things and hold onto the ball too long at times, but I would expect that decision making to get even better. The guy is calm, cool, and collected. I expect the same in his third season under center. Howell is the pre-season ACC player of the year.
The Tar Heels have a great dilemma in the backup QB situation. Jacoby Criswell and Drake Maye could probably start at a lot of other programs, but because of the steadiness of Sam Howell they are battling for the backup spot. This is a great problem to have. Whoever wins this battle probably sets themselves well to be the starter after Howell most likely leaves after this season. Drake Maye showed a lot of potential during the spring game and some surprising mobility. Hot take… I would love to see Criswell take some wildcat snaps. Just a thought. Mack Brown seems to be up for anything as the ole ball coach has little to no pressure when it comes to his job security.
Depth Chart:
QB1: #7 Sam Howell, JR
QB2: #6 Jacoby Criswell, SO
QB3: #10 Drake Maye, FR
OFFENSIVE LINE
Now let’s discuss the guys that get to protect the pre-season ACC player of the year: The offensive line. The O-line looks to be one of the most experienced units in the ACC this year. They return all their starters and all but one guy who took a snap last year. Joshua Ezeudu is the anchor of the line and after a stellar sophomore season he has landed himself on the preseason watch list for the 2021 Outland Trophy and pre-season ALL-ACC team. Marcus McKethan is back and this will be his 3rd season as a starter. Jordan Tucker will flank him as he also goes into his third year as a starter. Brian Anderson is back at center and Junior Asim Richards joins Ezedu on the left side of the line. This is a group that clearly excelled in run blocking as both Carter and Williams went over 1,000 last year. Yes, they did get yards after contact but we all watched the Miami game, there were holes big enough for a Mack truck to go through (you wanna pay me for that mention Mack trucks). The backs averaged 5.8 yards a carry and that was definitely due to some great blocking up front. This will play a big role in getting a new backfield going this year. It’s hard to gain yards when there aren’t any holes to run through (shocking I know). This group did struggle with pass protection a little bit. They gave up 34 sacks on the year. The physical opponents in Notre Dame and Texas A&M were just too much for this group last year. But these guys have a normal off season under their belts and some other players have made some strides. Mack Brown has said he wants to be 10 deep on the line. Right now it is at 9. Junior Ed Montilus will once again be a huge factor/rotational piece on the line, same with Quiron Johnson who started at center against Wake Forest last season. Junior William Barnes and Sophomore Jonathan Adorno have separated themselves from the pack to be included in that 9. Mack is still searching for that tenth and final piece. Sophomore Wyatt Tunall is a leading candidate. He played in 3 games last year. Cayden Baker is also battling for that final spot. He played in 5 games last season. I would expect pass protection has been a point of emphasis this offseason. I would expect this already experienced group to make strides this season.
DEPTH CHART:
LT
#72 Asim Richards, JR
#57 Cayden Baker, SO
#51 Wyatt Tunall, SO
LG
#75 Joshua Ezeudu, JR
#63 Ed Montilus, JR
C
#68 Brian Anderson, SR
#69 Guiron Johnson, SR
RG
#73 Marcus McKethan, SR
#52 Jonathan Adorno, SO
RT
#74 Jordan Tucker, SR
#76 William Barnes, JR
RUNNING BACKS
Lets move to the guys that will be running through those holes… the running backs. Michael Carter and Javonte Williams combined for 2,957 yards from scrimmage and 33 touchdowns last season. It is going to be next to impossible to replace that kind of productivity, but Ty Chandler was a huge addition from Tennessee. Chandler racked up 2,511 yards from scrimmage and 16 touchdowns in his 4 seasons in Knoxville. Chandler had to learn several systems during his time with the Volunteers and it is believed that Carolina’s system will fit him well. Several analysts have said that Chandler is poised to have a huge season behind an experienced offensive line. He comes from the SEC and is use to rough and tough running. Let’s be real, the SEC is a better football conference. Chandler will be a huge piece of the offensive from day 1. Chandler is the only real known when it comes to the running backs. Mack Brown has said that there isn’t a ton of separation behind Chandler. D.J Jones and Josh Henderson are probably the backs that are in the best position to compete for reps behind Chandler. Jones catches the ball well and is shifty. He broke his foot the week of the Miami game which kept him from being the starter for the Orange Bowl. Josh Henderson is the most experienced option behind Chandler. He had a strong spring game and runs hard between the tackles. His running style is different than Chandler and Jones, but he may be the best short-yardage option. Caleb Hood has shown a huge upside, but he isn’t very experienced. He played quarterback in high school. Hood needs to be able to catch the ball out of the backfield and pass protect. He is good at playing through contact, but he has to answer the 2 questions mentioned above. Elijah Green showed some nice flashes in the garbage time carries that he got last year, but the biggest question mark with him is his ability to catch the ball out of the backfield. If he shows he can do that then he can compete for some carries. He is a bit of a wildcard but is in the mix. Kamarro Edmonds comes to Carolina for the very successful Havelock High School program. He has more experience than Hood and is also shifty, but may have to settle for short-yardage situations if he sees carries. British Brooks is the elder statesman of the group and he started the Orange Bowl. He saw a limited role in the spring game though as the emphasis seems to be on developing younger backs. He will still be a valuable member of the group but his role will most likely be limited. Unless the guys above don’t step up, then he can see some reps just based on reliability.
Past Chandler the depth chart seems to be wide open even though I am pretty confident that either Jones or Henderson will start the season splitting carries with the Tennessee grad transfer. The depth chart after those guys is anyone’s best guess.
DEPTH CHART:
#19 Ty Chandler, SR
#4 Caleb Hood, FR
#21 Elijah Green, RFR
#33 Kamarro Edmonds, FR
#24 British Brooks, SR
WR
The wide receiver group also has some big shoes to fill. Dyami Brown totaled 123 RECS, 2306 YDS, and 21 TDS in his Tar Heel career. Dazz Newsome totaled 188 RECS, 2435 YDS, and 18 TDS in his time in Chapel Hill. There is more experience in the WR group than the running back group and Mack Brown has said he wants to see more separation between the receivers, but that he isn’t worried because there are plenty of weapons.
Beau Corrales decided to use his extra covid year of eligibility to return to Chapel Hill. He was sidelined for most of last season with a sports hernia and getting him for one more year is big. Beau provides a big, reliable target for Sam Howell. He also provides experience and someone that Howell is comfortable throwing the ball too. Hopefully he stays healthy for the whole season. The slot position appears to be well taken care of as Josh Downs looks ready and capable to fill Dazz Newsome’s shoes. He put everyone on notice in the Orange Bowl game that he is primed to be Carolina’s next great receiver. He has speed and will play a significant role this season. Khafre Brown will step in and try to fill his brother’s shoes. Brown showed flashes during the Orange Bowl and him and Downs can be the next great WR combo for the Heels. Brown has the best speed on the team and is great with the ball in his hands. Sometimes the problem is getting the ball in his hands though as drops are an area of concern. Limit those and this guy is going to be a star. Emery Simmons is someone else that will most likely see his role increase this year. He started 8 games a year ago, but was inconsistent. He showed flashes but Mack Brown wants to see more consistency from the Junior. He does provide some experience though. Antione Green has seen a somewhat limited role up to this point. The senior has been injured a lot, but if he can stay healthy he will be in the mix. J.J Jones is a little bit of a wildcard here. The true freshman has shown some promise throughout the summer and could compete for reps. Gavin Blackwell is also another true freshman that has shown some promise. He is a former high school teammate of Sam Howell and will likely back up Downs in the slot.
DEPTH CHART:
WR:
#15 Beau Corrales, SR
#0 Emery Simmons, JR
WR
#1 Khafre Brown, SO
#3 Antoine Green, SR
#5 J.J Jones, FR
SLOT
#11 Josh Downs, SO
#2 Gavin Blacakwell, FR
TE
Rounding out our offensive previews are the tight ends. Garrett Walston is back for his super senior season and adds some much needed experience. Walston is expected to have a bigger role this season and that was one of his reasons for returning. Walston is a solid run blocker which will help out a running back group that is still up in the air (besides Chandler). Walston is also a reliable target for Howell in the passing game. Kamri Morales is the clear #2 in this group. He will have an expanded role this season as well. The third tight end is up in the air. John Copenhaver appears to be the front runner as he is the best receiver of the group. He still needs to improve as a run blocker though.The wildcard in this group is true freshman Bryson Nesbit. He has the ability to go up and get the ball but like Copenhaver he needs to improve as a run blocker. Nesbit has only played football for 2 year but his upside is huge. He could be a sleeper red zone threat if he can prove to be a fair run blocker.
DEPTH CHART:
#84 Garrett Walston, SR
#88 Kamari Morales, SO
#81 John Copenhaver, RFR
#18 Bryson Nesbit, FR
While there are some question marks on the offensive side of the ball, there is a lot to be excited about. The offensive may not be as explosive as last year, but I would still expect us to be extremely productive behind a veteran QB and offensive line.
*depth charts reflect the people I see in position to compete for playing time and are not a comprehensive list of every player at every position.
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