UNC Spring Camp Position Breakdown: Wide receivers

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North Carolina’s wide receiver room has a lot of newcomers, but it could be a solid group.

The youth of the receiving corps is a major concern as most of the players are either freshmen or sophomores. The good news is that Jordan Shipp returns after a stellar sophomore season and he hopes he can help the offense have a revival of the ones it saw under Mack Brown and Larry Fedora.

The Tar Heels finished last season 119th nationally in scoring at 19.3 points per game and 129th in total offense at 288.8 yards per game. A key part of the problem was the passing game, as the Tar Heels threw for only 183.5 yards per game, which ranked next-to-last in the ACC and 109th nationally. Gio Lopez and Max Johnson, who both struggled at Carolina, transferred to Wake Forest and Georgia Southern, respectively.

Because of the struggles at quarterback, North Carolina’s wide receivers rarely had a chance to fully showcase their skills. With a revamped quarterback room and Bobby Petrino taking over play-calling duties, the hope is that the receivers — especially Shipp — can help unlock the offense’s potential.

Here is a breakdown of the wide receiver room.

Top Returners

Jordan Shipp (6-2, 190, Jr.)

Shipp is coming off a breakout 2025 campaign in which he caught 60 passes for 671 yards and six touchdowns, leading all UNC wide receivers in each category and earning All-ACC honorable mention. He scored in four of the Tar Heels’ final five games.

Shanard Clower (5-9, 165, Soph.)

Clower was one of several true freshmen who saw sporadic action at receiver, logging 20 snaps in the loss to Clemson and 13 and 15 snaps against Duke and NC State. He finished with 12 catches for 98 yards but rarely flashed, often looking like a first-year player still finding his footing. Even so, those limited reps became important building blocks for his offseason development.

Nathan Leacock (6-3, 217, RS-Jr)

A former Tennessee transfer, Leacock looks the part in practice and warmups, but he was not very productive last season, finishing with five catches for 48 yards on nine targets in 163 snaps, including 78 pass plays. His most notable play was one he would like to forget: a fumble just before he crossed the goal line on a potential game-winning touchdown in a 21-18 loss to Cal on Oct. 17, 2025.

This is a huge spring for him. He’s older than most players in the room, so he must secure a rotation spot now because the staff may go younger in August if his time is still uncertain.

Madrid Tucker (5-10, 170, RS Fr)

Tucker appeared in only three games, catching nine passes for 45 yards, and logged 55, 26 and 20 snaps last fall against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford. Those outings gave him meaningful live reps as a featured option, yet he still preserved his redshirt and maintains four full years of eligibility. He had a breakout game against Virginia, catching eight of nine targets, but was thrown to only once more the rest of the season, in the win over Stanford.

Though he’s on the smaller side, the staff clearly valued his long-term upside enough to protect the year. This spring will be critical for his trajectory, and he should head into fall camp with a real chance to carve out a spot in the receiver rotation.

New Portal Players

Mason Humphrey, Lehigh (6-4, 215, Sr.)

Last season, Humphrey posted 35 receptions for a career-high 651 yards and four touchdowns as a junior. Over his career, he has 100 receptions for 1,586 yards and 10 touchdowns.

Trech Kekahuna, Wisconsin (5-10, 185, Sr.)

Kekahuna provides not only experience but versatility for the Tar Heels. Kekahuna caught 26 passes for 211 yards, ran the football 14 times for 129 yards and a touchdown, while adding 142 yards on kick returns.

In his career, he has 55 catches for 614 yards and two touchdowns.

True Freshmen (Spring Enrollees)

CJ Sadler (5-9, 183) 

Sadler is a four-star prospect and the No. 157 overall player in the class of 2026. Expect him to have every opportunity to earn snaps as a true freshman.

Nyqir Helton (5-11, 182) 

Helton is a fast, quick receiver who was ranked as the No. 28 overall prospect in New Jersey. 

Zamaurious Robertson (6-0, 167)

Robertson was a three-star prospect from Dillon, South Carolina, and was rated the No. 31 overall player in the state’s 2026 class. 

Carnell Warren (6-3, 208)

Warren was a three-star prospect and the No. 11 overall player in South Carolina. With his length and frame, he has a chance to earn early playing time before the staff decides whether to redshirt him.

Kymestrii Young (6-2, 192)

Young was a three-star prospect out of Florida, rated the No. 95 overall player in the state last year.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Football: Breakdown of wide receivers with spring camp underway

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