North Carolina is making progress in replenishing its receivers, but the process is proving slow for Coach Butch Davis.
With less than three weeks left before the Sept. 5 opener, UNC doesn't know which receivers will take the field against The Citadel, with the likely exception of junior Greg Little.
"I think its baby steps," Davis said yesterday. "I think we're getting better every day. One of the things you want, and it will be a telltale sign, is consistency."
The top three receivers on last season's team are gone, and they combined for 114 catches for 1,932 yards and 17 touchdowns.
Little doesn't consider the problem as serious as outsiders do, but admits that more work must be done to help quarterback T.J. Yates keep the passing game sharp.
"We have some big shoes to fill," Little said. "I've seen where we're ranked 11th out of 12 in the receivers groups (among ACC teams). We're not ever in a rebuilding stage. I like to say we're reloading."
Little finds the doubts motivating. So does Dwight Jones, a sophomore who is one of the top candidates.
"We hear what people are saying, that we're not going to be that good, but you've got to take it as a personal challenge to go out there and prove everybody wrong," Jones said.
Yates is growing more comfortable passing to the receivers in each practice. Joshua Adams, Todd Harrelson, Rashad Mason and Jheranie Boyd, a freshman, are also candidates.
Hakeem Nicks was last season's dominant receiver, catching 68 passes for 1,222 yards and 12 touchdowns before leaving school a year early to enter the NFL Draft. Davis isn't looking for one player to become a ‘go-to' receiver, but is looking for a set of receivers in which each player is a threat.
The player that Yates is building rapport with the most is Little. He has some of the best athletic ability in the program, but hasn't been able to use it adequately after starting his UNC career at receiver, moving to tailback late in his freshman season, and then switching back to receiver last season.
"It's been an adventure; it's kind of a journey," Little said.
Little is confident that he is prepared to play receiver. He practiced there in spring practice instead of walking-on to the basketball team. He feels that the eight games he spent at tailback in parts of two seasons made him a more physical player, which should be an advantage at receiver.
"Greg's an explosive athlete," Yates said. "With those kinds of guys, you can get through making a mistake. He can run up under the ball, and he can catch the balls he's not supposed to and everything.
"He's got pretty much all the tools to do anything out there on the field. He's definitely going to be very versatile."
Davis thought that Jones' running style last season included too much wasted motion. He asked Jeff Connors, UNC's conditioning coach, to work with Jones in the offseason in refining the stride to help Jones accelerate more quickly.
"I don't think I'm really where they want me to be on my stride," Jones said. "It's getting better because I've been doing it all summer, but it's going to take a little more time."
Davis said that no receiver has broken away from the group to become the top target, but that the shortcoming is no fault of the players.
"We haven't really allowed them to separate (from each other in the competition)," Davis said. "We're rolling guys in there all the time. Receivers, by nature in training camp, run their legs off.
"How much they run in practice is literally measured in miles. It's 30 and 40 yards every play. Even if it's a running play there's downfield blocking. They're running on every play. It's two guys in on most every other play, and we're focusing on probably six or seven guys to get ready."
■ Bill Cole can be reached at bcole@wsjournal.com.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement