North Carolina’s offense is getting a full reset again, and the pass-catching group might end up being one of the more interesting parts of the whole operation.
The Tar Heels will roll into 2026 with a new starting quarterback, new starting pass-catchers, changes at right guard and tackle, and an SEC addition at running back. Bobby Petrino is also in place as Bill Belichick’s offensive coordinator for the 2026 season. How much all of that actually moves the needle won’t be clear until Week 0, when North Carolina meets TCU in Dublin, Ireland, to open the college football season.
At wide receiver, Jordan Shipp is the clear headliner. He’s the kind of player who should be in the All-ACC conversation if he stays healthy, and he looks like one of the top weapons on the roster no matter how the rest of the offense shakes out. A 1,000-yard season is on the table for the 4-star junior, and so is the possibility of becoming a well-regarded NFL Draft pick next spring.
But Shipp is only part of the story. North Carolina has enough around him to make the group worth watching, starting with Nathan Leacock and transfers Mason Humphrey and Trech Kekahuna.
Humphrey, the Lehigh transfer, brings the kind of size that can matter right away. He gives the Tar Heels a bigger target with a wide catch radius, which should help on contested go balls and throws over the middle. That kind of presence can change how a passing game looks, and it could help create more room for everyone else.
Kekahuna adds a different kind of problem for defenses. He projects as a space player, the sort of receiver who can make things happen with explosiveness, vision, and lateral quickness after the catch. That versatility gives North Carolina another layer if Petrino can get the ball into his hands in the right spots.
Then there’s Leacock, who gets a fresh chance this fall to live up to the blue-chip billing he once carried for Tennessee. He’s the highest-rated recruit on the roster, according to 247Sports, and his size and athletic profile give him real breakout potential. The question is whether the quarterback situation lets that talent show up consistently.
That’s the hinge point for the whole passing game. If Petrino and North Carolina get steady production under center, the offense has a chance to look a lot better. Shipp can be the featured target, Leacock and Humphrey can stretch the field vertically, and Kekahuna can create problems in space.
If the quarterback play doesn’t come together, though, the whole thing could stall. In that case, the passing game could get stuck in neutral and drag the offense with it.
Still, Petrino and Belichick have reason to like what they’ve got here. The pieces are there for this group to become a dependable part of the 2026 season.
In Other News...
Tar Heels Summer League Brings One Encouraging Sign And One Rough Start
Summer League offered a little bit of everything for North Carolina fans on Friday, with Henri Veesaar and Cormac Ryan each giving their new teams something to build on. Veesaar came off the bench for the Hawks and gave them a steady 18-minute stint in an overtime loss to Utah, while Ryan drew a start for Milwaukee and helped the Bucks beat the Warriors Blue with a productive night from the perimeter.
Drake Powells first turn in Brooklyn was a different kind of test. He started against Sacramento and found other ways to stay involved, helping on the glass and as a passer, even as his shot never came around in the loss. The schedule now gives the Tar Heels another layer to watch, with Powells Nets set to see Ryans Bucks on Sunday, a small but familiar crossover for a program tracking several former players at once. [Read more 🡒]