CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina wide receivers coach and associated head coach Lonnie Galloway met with the media following the Tar Heels’ scrimmage Saturday morning to field questions about his position group.
Galloway discussed the depth at the outside receiver slot, including the positive recent play of Justin Olson, he hit on the guys behind Josh Downs at slot, Emery Simmons’ improved speed, Antoine Green and more.
Above is the full video Q&A session with Galloway and below are some notes and pulled quotes from what he had to say:
*Mack Brown promoted Galloway to associated head coach in the spring, so has that changed anything regarding how he goes about his business or prepares for game days?
“No, still the same stuff,” Galloway said. “If there’s some things that Coach needs me to do, if the staff asks questions, they’ll bring it to me, and I’ll take it to him. But as far as game day stuff, no. I’m still with my guys getting them ready to go. Typical days for me.”
*Galloway lost outside wide receiver Dyami Brown from last year’s team after Brown put together consecutive 1,000-yard receiving seasons, the only player ever to do so in UNC history. So how does that spot look right now?
“Emery Simmons, Antoine Green, Justin Olson, those are the guys that, with (Beau) Corrales, those are the guys that right now are working outside and getting a connection with Sam, working on deep balls and hitting those,” Galloway said. “Josh (Downs) in the slot, those are the guys that are working outside that are going with the blues and the whites right now.”
*What has been Antoine Green’s arc been the last few years and where is he at this time?
“Totally different,” Galloway replied. “I think he (has) a totally different mindset on where he needs to be. He was in a role where he started two years ago then Beau ended up being the starter with Dyami on the other side. He really wants to play… He hurt himself when he first got here and then battling through that and finally getting himself – and we’ve had a lot of talks – to go mentally.
“All the tools are there for AG: 6-3, 208 pounds, can run, catch the ball well, so it’s mental for him, and those are the things that I’ve challenged him with this spring and preseason camp. ‘Play mentally tough, and if you need a break then we’ll get you out, but when you’re in there compete, work on your technique’ and those types of things.”
*Justin Olson’s name has come up a lot over the last 10 days, so what has Galloway seen from the sophomore from Charlotte?
“Just his consistency since camp started, and even last year’s camp and this spring,” Galloway said. “Competing on the vertical ball and just making plays. It’s one of those things, if you ask any of the DBs, he’s one of the guys that’s a hard cover for them.
“I’ve challenged Justin to try to carve out a role for himself. And as a group, you r peers, know who should be out there playing, and they all have confidence in him, and Sam and the quarterbacks have confidence in him. So, he just needs to continually get better during this camp and put days together, and he has.”
*Mack Brown has compared this receiver unit to the one two years ago before Dyami Brown and Dazz Newsome broke out, each getting 1,000 yards in 2019. Does Galloway see some of the same parallels with the current group to that one two years ago?
“I like how Coach answered that question because, besides of what Josh did in the bowl game, it’s an unknown factor, besides Beau, who has played, and Khafre (Brown) made some plays in a couple of games,” Galloway said. “But I think we’ll be fine where we are. Whether it’s two of them or a collection of a couple of guys on the outside, a couple of guys on the inside, to stack up the numbers.
“I have confidence in them that we’ll be able to get that done. And when you have a special trigger man; quarterbacks make players that are unknown good and that’ll be the thing for us with Sam. You’ve got to want to go out there and compete and to play with him because if he has confidence in you the ball will find you.”
