Prior to Brandon Fritts’ knee injury that could force him to miss the entire 2018 season, tight end was easily the greatest position of strength on the Tar Heels’ football team. It still may be without Fritts, though it’s vastly more unproven now.

While Carl Tucker was going get as many snaps as Fritts, and the pair undoubtedly would have played a lot together, Fritts was still going to be the leader of the group and one of the leaders of UNC’s offense.

A fifth-year senior with 47 career receptions and nine touchdowns demands that kind of respect, especially if you consider the numbers would be better had most of his sophomore campaign not been ruined because of an injury.

Without Fritts, tight end is at least a position that has talent and, because of that potential, is deep. But, it’s not all that experienced.

Prior to his injury, Fritts spoke about the group.

“We’ve got a lot of good players; everybody can play, honestly,” he said. “So it’s a lot of fun, we’re a tight group and we enjoy coming out here every day competing with one another.”

Tucker, a 6-2, 255-pound junior, was lost for the season in a win at Old Dominion last season. He was on his way to what looked like a very productive campaign. He returned to practice this spring and will be ready to go when August camp opens.

Jake Bargas, a 6-4, 245-pound junior, has the most snaps of any remaining tight ends, though he has fewer receptions than Tucker. He’s considered the best blocker of the bunch, but this fall will have chances to catch more passes than before.

Garrett Walston, a 6-4, 240-pound redshirt sophomore, came in as a 4-star prospect after flipping from Georgia to the Tar Heels. If anyone might personally benefit from Fritts being out it’s Walston, who should get on the field more this fall. In his third year now, it’s time to find out what he can do.

The other tight end, Noah Tuner, a 6-3, 250-poinr redshirt sophomore, missed last season with an injury but had a really good spring and is 100 percent healthy again.

“(Carl) Tucker and (Jake) Bargas and (Garrett) Walston and (Noah) Turner, we’ve got some guys that can make plays for us and understand what we’re trying to do, so it’s a nice group,” UNC Coach Larry Fedora said.

The Tar Heels would love to get Fritts back at some point during the season, as they are certainly better with him than without him. But if they don’t, this group has the composition to turn in an excellent season.

Brandon Fritts, Sr.

47 receptions, 439 yards, 9 touchdowns, 18 career starts

Carl Tucker, Jr.

15 receptions, 230 yards, 1 touchdown, 7 career starts

Jake Bargas, Jr.

10 receptions, 94 yards, 2 career starts

Garrett Walston, Soph.

4-star coming out of high school, one of the top players in the nation at his position

Noah Turner RS Soph.

3-Star coming out of high school