Despite all the talent on the North Carolina Tar Heels’ football roster, there’s also a ton of uncertainty surrounding quarterback and several skill positions.
Before we get into those groups, we already know that starting running back Omarion Hampton is not only the ACC’s best rusher, but amongst the nation’s best.
Moving onto quarterback, though, UNC still has three months to decide if Duke’s Mayo Bowl starter Conner Harrell or Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson will start under center. In terms of wide receiver, J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum are the two most experienced players.
Another area North Carolina doesn’t have to worry about is tight end, with Bryson Nesbit leading the way. Nesbit returns the Tar Heels’ second-high receiving yardage total from a season ago (585), putting him behind Jones.
Not only will Nesbit be a reliable receiving target this coming season, but he’s also a Top-10 tight end to know ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft.
“Nesbit blurs the line between wide receiver and tight end, spending the vast majority of his snaps in the slot for North Carolina,” PFF college football analyst Max Chadwick wrote. “Regardless of what he’s listed as, he’s still one of the top returning pass-catchers in the nation. The junior’s 1,092 receiving yards over the last two years lead all returning tight ends in college football. His 32 catches of 15-plus yards in that span trail only Brock Bowers and Ja’Tavion Sanders among Power Five tight ends. While he’s more of a slot receiver than an in-line tight end, Nesbit is still a matchup nightmare in the ACC.”
We haven’t seen tight end numbers like this from a UNC tight end since Eric Ebron, who was the Detroit Lions’ first round selection in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Ebron compiled 1,803 receiving yards in three years at North Carolina, while Nesbit, who has 1,246 yards through three years, could very well surpass Ebron in yardage total by the upcoming season’s end.
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