North Carolina enters Saturday's game against No. 1 Miami at 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the ACC, with victories over TCU, East Tennessee State, Pittsburgh and Duke.
The Tar Heels' offense under coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has been driven primarily by a trio of skill-position players who have produced the bulk of the team's yardage through seven games.
Here are the offensive players for North Carolina that Miami fans should look out for.
Honorable Mentions
While UNC also features running backs Demon June (seven rushing touchdowns) and Benjamin Hall (team-leading 283 rushing yards before a recent hamstring issue), the three players below have generated the majority of the Tar Heels' offensive production this season.
1. WR Jordan Shipp
Shipp leads UNC with 41 receptions for 543 yards and two touchdowns. He has been especially productive in recent weeks, catching 28 passes for 379 yards and both of his scores over his last four games. Those performances included 109 yards against Notre Dame, 93 against Pitt, 75 against Duke and 102 against Syracuse.
Against a Miami secondary that has allowed 239.1 passing yards per game, Shipp is the biggest vertical and perimeter threat on the UNC roster.
Jordan Shipp's game log
- TCU: 5 receptions, 71 yards
- East Tennessee State: 2 receptions, 25 yards
- Clemson: 6 receptions, 68 yards
- Notre Dame: 7 receptions, 109 yards
- Pittsburgh: 6 receptions, 93 yards
- Duke: 7 receptions, 75 yards, 1 TD
- Syracuse: 8 receptions, 102 yards, 1 TD
2. TE Jelani Thurman
Thurman has 33 receptions for 391 yards and a team-high four receiving touchdowns. He gives QB Billy Edwards Jr. a consistent option in the middle of the field and has been a regular part of Petrino's scheme this season. Last week against Syracuse, he caught seven passes for 77 yards, including a 28-yard gain on the opening touchdown drive.
Jelani Thurman's 2026 game log
- TCU: 4 receptions, 94 yards
- East Tennessee State: 4 receptions, 71 yards, 1 TD
- Clemson: 3 receptions, 18 yards
- Notre Dame: 5 receptions, 50 yards, 2 TDs
- Pittsburgh: 6 receptions, 29 yards, 1 TD
- Duke: 4 receptions, 52 yards
- Syracuse: 7 receptions, 77 yards
3. QB Billy Edwards Jr.
Edwards has started all seven games for UNC and has thrown for 1,531 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions while completing 60.2% of his passes. His best outing came last Saturday against Syracuse, when he completed 27 of 44 passes for 271 yards and two scores.
Billy Edwards Jr.'s 2026 game log
- TCU: 16 of 28, 232 yards, 0 TD, 0 INT
- East Tennessee State: 15 of 20, 244 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
- Clemson: 13 of 30, 135 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT
- Notre Dame: 17 of 28, 209 yards, 3 TDs, 2 INTs
- Pittsburgh: 18 of 26, 249 yards, 2 TDs, 2 INTs
- Duke: 15 of 25, 191 yards, 1 TD, 0 INT
- Syracuse: 27 of 44, 271 yards, 2 TDs, 0 INT
Add us as a preferred source on Google