CHAPEL HILL – Nate McCollum had a strange season last fall, his first at North Carolina.
After transferring in from Georgia Tech, with which he caught 60 passes in 2022, McCollum missed UNC’s opener with an injury, and two weeks later had a flare-up that was well out of character for his season as a whole.
Limited in week two against Appalachian State, McCollum was targeted once with a reception that went for eight yards. In the third game, however, McCollum became Jerry Rice.
Twenty targets, 15 receptions, 165 yards, a touchdown, and nine first downs. Minnesota was helpless trying to defend him, and the following few opponents didn’t lock him down, though they weren’t surrendering player-of-the-week numbers to McCollum, either.
A swoon occurred, though, beginning with Carolina’s nightmarish home loss to Virginia that derailed the team’s season. That night, McCollum had two catches on 10 targets with four drops. A couple were costly in the shocking defeat. In fact, between that night and the bowl game, McCollum had six receptions on 21 targets and five drops.
But that’s all in the past, McCollum says now. He’s moved on.
“Man, build on it,” he said Saturday after practice, UNC’s fifth of fall camp. “Take ownership of it. But last year’s last year. This year is this year. Every day, show up to work.
“I feel like this year I’m more comfortable. (I’ve) been hanging out with the guys more in the offseason. So, just ready to go, man, I’m excited.”
In addition, McCollum also spoke about the offense’s strengths, the young receivers, cornerback Marcus Allen, having Darwin Barlow take care of his dog, first-year defensive coordinator Geoff Collins, who was McCollum’s head coach at Georgia Tech, and more. But first, some of McCollim’s stats:
*2023 season: 427 snaps; 44 receptions (67 targets) for 469 yards; 1 TD; 20 first downs; 6 drops; 201 yards after the catch; PFF of 63.8.
*Career stats: 1,223 snaps; 119 receptions (174 targets); 5 TDs; 61 first downs; 8 drops; 578 yards after the catch; 13 punt returns for 77 yards.
*True freshman WRs Jordan Shipp and Alex Taylor started making an impression as soon as they stepped on campus last winter, and that carried through spring practice. So nearly a week into fall camp, McCollum offered his thoughts about where both players are at this juncture.
“I think they’re still developing,” McCollum said. “Still flashing all types of signs of being ball players; being playmakers that can really help us out. Everything I see, they’re doing well.”
*When we spoke with junior CB Marcus Allen a few days ago, he spoke about adding 11 pounds of muscle and how it helps him with the Heels playing more press coverage under first-year defensive coordinator Geoff Collins. With McCollumn having to deal with Allen a lot in practice, has he seen any changes in him?
“That he mentioned that he is stronger, which he is, he’s also gotten faster… We’ve had to change our approach to him, actually, a couple of times because he’s made the adjustments from spring, or from last year. He’s just gotten better overall.”
*Kobe Paysour was an explosive and vital part to UNC’s offense before he suffered the first of two different (both feet) foot injuries last season that caused him to miss the final seven games in addition to the bowl game. Paysour was limited in the spring, too. McCollum, however, says Paysour is back to where he was before the first injury last fall.
“Kobe’s doing well,” McCollum said. “He had both foot problems, but he’s going to be explosive. Yeah, he’s going to be explosive.”
