CHAPEL HILL - As the NCAA tournament winds down, that means college football programs all across America are participating in spring practice. North Carolina held its sixth practice of the spring in Kenan Stadium on Saturday, which was open to fans and media, so THI was on hand to take in the rainy day.
Here are some observations through this lens about the Tar Heels’ offense:
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*It's hard to do an offensive observation without mentioning UNC’s quarterback room. It's amazing how far Drake Maye has come. From splitting reps with Jacolby Criswell at this point last year, to the most recent practice we got to watch, where the third-year QB was clearly the leader.
A fan commented to AJ and me about how fun Maye is to watch, even in practices, and I would have to agree with him. But reality is, this will likely be Maye’s last season in Chapel Hill, though UNC fans shouldn’t fret. The more I watch Connor Harrell, the more I am convinced he has what it takes to be a really good college player.
In practice on Saturday, he showed off his awareness in the pocket repeatedly making subtle movements to avoid the pass rush. He had one touchdown run that stands out in my head where he took a side step to avoid the pass rush before running it in for a touchdown. UNC Coach Mack Brown has quickly built his program into a quarterback factory and maybe Harrell can be next in line to take the torch.
*Corey Gaynor is a good leader. Following practice, Gaynor could be seen leading the offensive line unit in a post-practice workout. Gaynor chose to return to UNC instead of trying his hand at the NFL, so, essentially the younger offensive linemen have a professional showing the things that need to be done to have success at the Power 5 level through his actions.
And now that Gaynor has spent a year in the UNC locker room, he feels more comfortable leading his teammates.
“This time last year, I was coming fresh off of an injury,” he said after Saturday’s practice. “I didn’t think it was right for me to be doing interviews, I just needed to prove myself and be quiet, and show these guys what I’m all about.”
Though the offensive line has a bona fide leader in Gaynor, I still question if the group has enough to compete with the upper echelon of college football.
*Had Carolina not brought in a wide receiver from the portal, I think the consensus on the group going into next season would be that they are young and talented, but unproven. With guys like Kobe Paysour, who had some big games in the absence of Josh Downs last season, and JJ Jones and Andre Greene, who both have all the physical tools to be special, the Heels had soime talent ready to take the next step.
But the reality is UNC did add to the receiver room through the transfer portal, and very early in practice, it was evident to why the staff wanted the new pass catchers to wear Carolina blue.
Tez Walker (Kent State transfer) had a game last season against Georgia where he carved up the best defense in the nation for seven catches, 106 yards and a touchdown. At practice, the defensive backs, who are now his teammates, didn't have any success guarding him, and it appears he and quarterback Drake Maye have built a level of chemistry that is usually seen in a pair of seniors who have been playing together for four years.
Nate McCollum (Georgia Tech transfer) doesn’t possess the same physical talent as Walker, but he showed a knack for finding open grass and catching the ball reliably.
The Tar Heel receiving core has made drastic improvement since the 2021 season, when the Heels were overly reliant on Josh Downs, the receiving room is in good shape for now and in the future. UNC freshman Christian Hamilton always stands out to me because of his fluid movements, something I noted watching him in high school and will clearly translate to this level.
