Just A True Freshman, Greene's Talent On Display In Fall Camp

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CHAPEL HILL – Andre Greene just arrived at North Carolina less than three months ago, but he is certainly making his presence felt.

Greene is fast. He is long, rangy, quick, physical, has terrific hands, and simply looks the part of a veteran opposing defenses must take note of at all times.

Yet, he is only 18 years of age and not even two weeks formally into his college career. But Greene could also already be one of UNC’s best wide receivers.

“The open practice we had on the game field, Dre, he was flashing the whole day,” junior running back D.J. Jones said last week about the true freshman from Richmond, VA. “Even to me, I was impressed with him.”

A 4-star prospect and No. 44 overall player nationally in the class of 2022, Greene didn’t enroll last January like many of his UNC classmates. He got to Carolina in June, took part in player-led practices and workouts, and strapped on the headgear July 29 for the first time.

It didn’t take long for the other guys in the room to take notice.

Senior Antoine Green said Greene is “going to be a dog,” and “he’s real physical… he knows what he’s doing.”

UNC offensive coordinator Phil Longo offered up a laundry list of the boxes Greene checks.

“He’s really, really physically strong, corners have to deal with him physically different than the normal type freshman…,” Longo said. “Andre just has very, very strong hands, very aggressive to the ball. So, the physical strength piece of receiver play is not going to be an issue for him.”

And Greene is fast. And at 6-foot-5, he is long. And Greene is smooth. And Greene is confident.

Imagine a talent capable of out-muscling for balls over the middle, near the sidelines, and in the corner of the end zone, but also darting through the middle on crossing routes, getting over the top of defenses with breathtaking ease, and causing defenses to scheme for him.

That is the degree of talent Greene brings to the field every time he laces up the cleats.

“His confidence is up, he knows what he has to work on; the things that he’s good at, so he knows where he’s headed,” Jones said. “And I think he’s headed in a good direction.”

How quickly Greene gets there remains to be seen, though that process could escalate now that Green, the second-leading receiver for the Tar Heels a year ago, is out indefinitely with an upper body injury suffered in a scrimmage Saturday.

Even still, UNC may be young in that room, outside of Josh Downs, but rushing Greene isn’t part of the plan.

“It's too early to tell if Andre will make a dent in the lineup, yet,” Longo said. “Right now, he is in the rotation. What stands out a little bit about Andre, maybe more so than the typical freshman receiver that comes in, is that Andre is incredibly strong and physically mature for a receiver just coming from high school.

“I kind of want to check his license to see if he is 23 or 24, but I don’t because I want him to play for four (years) and we are going to do what we have to do.”

And what the Carolina staff may have to do is get Greene onto the field early and often and keep him there. By all accounts around the program, he is just that good.