Tag: Kamari Morales

UNC tight end room one of nation’s best

John Copenhaver, Kamari Morales and Bryson Nesbit give the UNC football program one of the deepest tight end rooms in the nation.

There’s no question that the UNC football team has produced yet another, disappointing end to what once looked like a strong season.

Carolina started the year 6-0, beating five Power 5 opponents in six weeks and squeaking by App State in overtime. Losses to UVA, Georgia Tech, Clemson and N.C. State quickly ended College Football Playoff hopes and, once again, showed UNC has a long way to go before it considers itself a football school.

Despite the recent struggles Carolina’s endured, it has two things to be proud of: making a bowl game for the fifth-consecutive season and an electric offense.

One of the major reasons for UNC’s record-setting offense is its tight end room, which includes John Copenhaver Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales, who recently announced his decision to enter the transfer portal.

That room has combined for 71 receptions, 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, making UNC one of two Power 5 schools to have a tight end group Top 5 in those respective categories.

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Nesbit is the room’s leader, catching 41 passes for 585 yards and five touchdowns. Copenhaver has 18 catches for 279 yards and four touchdowns, while Morales has 11 catches for 158 yards and no scores.

Carolina should have yet another dangerous tight end group next year, with Nesbit and Copenhaver returning for their senior years.

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Kamari Morales announces he will enter transfer portal

Tar Heel tight end Kamari Morales announces he will enter the transfer portal when it opens, becoming one of many expected to leave UNC.

The transfer portal is set to open, causing another off-season of mayhem as collegiate football programs find ways to maneuver around new territory.

Many coaches around the nation have already started to prepare pitches to add and retain talent to the rosters. Mack Brown, who had been critical of the transfer portal hinted at potential tampering with expectations of some players leaving.

Well, we now know one of those players putting their name in the portal is five-year tight end [autotag]Kamari Morales[/autotag]. The Tar Heel took to social media, announcing he would be entering the transfer portal seeking new opportunities.

The move is not surprising with Morales’s drop in production this season. Morales appeared in 12 games but had his lowest receiving yards (158) in a season since 2020. This year was Morales’s first season since 2019, where he failed to get into the end zone for a score.

With Drake Maye likely moving on to the NFL, it makes sense that Morales did not want to return for one more year with a new QB at the helm.

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UNC Football: Offensive Keys to the Game against UVA

What hasn’t the UNC football team done offensively? We take a look at how the Tar Heels’ deadly offense can thrive against a weak UVA squad.

Sitting at 6-0 atop the ACC with Florida State, the UNC football team is in a great position to contend for a conference championship.

Outside of App State, the Tar Heels have beaten opponents with relative ease. Casuals might look at their undefeated record and think, “must be a bunch of FCS teams.”

Nope.

Five of Carolina’s six wins – South Carolina, Minnesota, Pitt, Syracuse and Miami – are against Power 5 schools. The lone school outside the Power 5 is an App State squad that competes with the country’s best – see last year’s upset at Texas A&M.

UNC only has one FCS team, Campbell University, on its schedule for Saturday, Nov. 4. This is common of several Power 5 schools to play at least one FCS school.

The Tar Heels have scored 40 points in four of their six games – even more impressive against top-ranked defenses in Minnesota, Syracuse and Miami. Drake Maye looks more and more like a Heisman Trophy contender each week, Omarion Hampton gives UNC its first star running back since Ty Chandler, while the group of pass-catchers is among the most talented in recent history.

Carolina plays likely it easiest ACC opponent in UVA on Saturday, Oct 21. While the Tar Heels are expected to win big, let’s take a look at exactly what they need to do offensively in hopes of continuing their win streak:

Six 100-yard receivers have UNC’s passing attack amongst nation’s best

The UNC football program doesn’t know who’ll lead its passing attack in a given week. That’s a good thing keeping opponents guessing.

When Drake Maye is your quarterback, you’re going to score lots of points and win plenty of games.

Behind every great quarterback, however, is a great group of pass-catchers.

Fortunately for Maye, the UNC gunslinger who is projected to be a top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, his pass-catchers are making life easy for him.

With Walker initially being ruled ineligible, guys had to step up at receiver. The other receivers haven’t only stepped up, they’ve thoroughly exceeded expectations, with six guys reaching at least 100 yards.

Walker finally earned eligibility, sending a massive cheer throughout Tar Heel Nation. His presence should further bolster an already dangerous group.

Georgia Tech transfer Nate McCollum is atop the group with 355 receiving yards. He just registered his second 100-yard receiving effort in two weeks, catching seven Maye passes for a UNC-high 135 yards against Syracuse.

J.J. Jones has 318 yards, but still is looking for his first score. Jones’ best output this year was a six-catch, 117-yard showout at Pitt.

Kobe Paysour leads Carolina with three receiving touchdowns. His first 100-yard outing came against Syracuse, as he caught three passes for exactly 100 yards and a score.

All three tight ends have over 100 receiving yards, but Bryson Nesbit leads the way with 167 receiving yards. Kamari Morales (not pictured in above post) has 139 receiving yards, while John Copenhaver has 106. Nesbit and Copenhaver have two receiving touchdowns each.

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5 things to watch for in UNC Football opener against South Carolina

UNC’s first football clash of the year is Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina. Look out for the following five keys in the matchup.

Week 1 – a fresh start for college football teams across the country.

People get to see new stars and familiar faces for their favorite teams. Heisman Trophy campaigns get underway. Upsets are bound to happen, while title favorites begin their quests – will anyone be able to stop Georgia this year?

The University of North Carolina football team is one of many who gets to press “reset” – and it is very thankful to do so.

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The Tar Heels were a fringe College Football Playoff team last year, starting 9-1 with wins over schools like App State, Pitt and Wake Forest, whom they clinched the ACC Coastal Division against.

No one could have possibly seen what was coming next. UNC lost four consecutive games to end the season, including the first of four against a struggling Georgia Tech squad that, eventually, missed out on bowl action. Drake Maye threw for a career-high 448 yards against Wake Forest, then failed to eclipse 300 in the Heels’ final four contests.

With Maye, a deadly tight end trio, the entire running back room returning and a dangerous linebacking corps, as part of a hopefully-improved defense, the Heels need to beat South Carolina Saturday if they want any shot at the College Football playoff.

Before the Saturday matchup, we look at five things to watch in this ACC-SEC clash.

John Copenhaver catches a beautiful touchdown from Drake Maye in practice

UNC quarterback Drake Maye is already forming a solid connection with tight end John Copenhaver, completing a gorgeous pass in practice.

If we’re just watching football highlights alone, it looks like UNC quarterback Drake Maye is already in midseason form.

While the Tar Heels don’t start gameplay until Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC), they’re giving fans a lot to be excited about in practice.

If fans check out the UNC Football Instagram page, Maye throws a dime to tight end John Copenhaver down the sidelines. Copenhaver makes a catch placed perfectly over graduate linebacker Jake Harkleroad, then practically walks into the end zone. The Maye-Copenhaver connection is going to be crucial this Fall, as Maye will be searching for new targets to replace 2023 NFL Draft picks Josh Downs and Antoine Green.

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Maye is coming off a season in which he finished fourth in the FBS (4,321) in passing yards, just one spot behind Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams, and tied with Wake Forest quarterback Sam Hartman for fourth in passing touchdowns (38). UNC fans also quickly learned of Maye’s strong rushing ability, as Maye anchored the Tar Heel rushing attack with 698 yards.

Whichever way Drake Maye wants to hurt a defense, he’s going to.

Despite catching 15 passes for 222 yards last season, Copenhaver split time with Bryson Nesbit and Kamari Morales. Copenhaver may see more time this Fall, however, as he and Nesbit were named to the 2023 John Mackey Award Preseason Watch List. This is an award given annually to the top tight end in college football.

Get ready for action, Tar Heel fans. 2023’s about to be a great year.

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2023 UNC Football Preview: Tight End

We look at the 2023 tight-end position as UNC looks to find consistency in the passing attack.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are preparing for this upcoming season, and one of the biggest questions is who will become Drake Maye’s new favorite target.

Well, one group, in particular, has a chance to do so: the tight-end group. UNC lost significant talent in the pass-catching category this off-season.

Losing Maye’s two top targets, Josh Downs and Antoine Green will be a challenging replacement, especially when those two targets combined for 137 receptions and 1827 receiving yards last year.

Despite a new-looking wide receiver core, some familiar faces in the tight end room should help the newer targets get established. John Copenhaver, Bryson Nesbit, and Kamari Morales will all return to the Carolina Blue.

The tight end room will also welcome three-star Julien Randolph, whose 6’5, 220-pound frame will be serviceable for Chip Lindsey’s offense.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to crank up our position preview with the tight end position.

2022 UNC Football Preview: Tight End

We take a look at the 2022 tight end position as UNC looks to find more consistency in the passing attack.

The time is almost near when the UNC football program takes the field looking to bounce back from their 6-7 record. With Sam Howell off the NFL, the pressure is on the Tight End position to serve as a security blanket and help the transition into the Drake Maye or Jacolby Criswell era.

The good news this season is that the Tight end group is balanced, between experience and high-ranked young recruits. As junior [autotag]Kamari Morales[/autotag] is set to be TE1, it’s four-star recruit [autotag]Bryson Nesbit[/autotag] that could bring the biggest impact from the TE group this season.

Head coach Mack Brown and his staff have shown a run-heavy and pass-later offense in the last three seasons. This year could look a bit different with more emphasis on moving the chains through the air, giving the TEs more than enough opportunity.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to continue our position preview with the tight end position and look at not only Morales and Nesbit but the depth behind them.

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Five keys to Notre Dame defeating North Carolina

What do you think will decide the game for the Irish?

The Tar Heels have massively underachieved this year, playing themselves to a 4-3 record and right out of the polls. This seems like a Mack Brown old Texas team, tons of talent but wildly inconsistent however extremely dangerous. Find out below five keys for the Irish to contain the Tar Heels and avoid an upset at home.

Know your foe, North Carolina: 5 Tar Heels that could give Notre Dame problems

These Tar Heels are playmakers

This North Carolina team is much different than the one the Irish faced last year. Gone are some of quarterback Sam Howell’s weapons, and it’s shown this year. Yes, an underwhelming 4-3 record that they bring to South Bend wouldn’t scare many, but that doesn’t mean the Heel’s will get walked over Saturday night. Here are five North Carolina players who could give the Irish some problems.