Wideouts anchor attack

North Carolina senior wide receivers Jarwarski Pollock and Wallace Wright can't make up their minds.

The two scan their brains to decide just which set of reliable hands, quick feet and playmaking ability make up the best receiving corps in collegiate football, but a consensus is hard to come by.

"I think Ohio State has the best," Pollock asserts. "With (Santonio) Holmes, (Ted) Ginn and (Anthony) Gonzalez, that's a lot of big-play ability right there."

"But of course you can't forget about USC," Wright retorts. "With (Matt) Leinart throwing to Steve Smith and (Dwayne) Jarrett, that's pretty nice.

"But if you think about it, Ohio State has three receivers, USC has two, but we have five. People say we got the best receiver group in the ACC, and with us five, we're gonna make it happen."

Wait a minute. That "we" being thrown around by Wright couldn't possibly be referring to the Tar Heels, could it?

There's no way the penultimate squad in the ACC preseason rankings

has nearly enough talent to match up with the wideouts from two top-10 teams, right?

Sure, Pollock and Wright might be a little biased. But after evaluating

the statistics, diverse play and great potential between the two seniors plus Jesse Holley, Mike Mason and Derrele Mitchell, it appears they might actually be on to something.

UNC's current offensive situation

allows Wright and his comrades

the opportunity to provide at least some evidence for his claim.

Junior tailback Ronnie McGill's offseason injury pits the Tar Heel backfield in uncertainty with two unproven players in Cooter Arnold and Barrington Edwards competing

for the starting job.

And at under center, the fleet-footed Darian Durant has been replaced by Matt Baker, a quarterback

who loves to throw in the pocket.

During last week's loss to No. 16 Georgia Tech, a national television

audience witnessed just how explosive North Carolina's airborne

attack can be.

Just before halftime, Mitchell snagged a catch from Baker on a simple out route to the sideline.

With just under two minutes remaining and the Tar Heels looking

to tie the game, most expected Mitchell to just step out of bounds and stop the clock. Instead, the senior receiver quickly turned downfield, shook off a defender and galloped past the Yellow Jacket secondary for an 87-yard score.

"Derrele made an unbelievable catch-and-run and I'll tell you what, that's the fastest I've ever seen him run, so I'm real excited about that," Coach John Bunting said after the game.

And he's not even the fastest receiver on the team. That distinction

goes to Mason, who has become a major deep threat for the Tar Heels with his incredible speed and jumping ability.

"Mike is like zero to 60 in two seconds," Holley says. "I love lining

up beside him because of the attention he draws, which allows me to get open easier."

Not that Holley needs much help in finding the open space necessary

to get the ball - or attention

for that matter.

The junior, who is known for his loud mouth, wrapped up the 2004 season with 11 catches for 196 yards in his last three games, including the game-winning 45-yard touchdown against Wake Forest. With these performances, Holley vaulted to this year's top receiver slot after starting last season

at the fifth spot on the depth chart.

Looking to make a similar jump in the rotation is Wright, a former walk-on who is entering his first season as an integral part of the receiving corps.

For the past three seasons, the senior has been fielding and defending kick returns. But his knack for finding the end zone - his first two career receptions were touchdowns - and fielding acrobatic catches makes him the perfect playmaker.

Wright proclaims that he is the most underrated of the group, but when it comes to finesse, the one known as "Smooth" is always the first to be sought out.

"Everything about this dude is smooth," Pollock says. "His routes, the way he talks, the way he dresses,

the way he walks. Anything he does is silky smooth. He's even got 'Smooth' tattooed on his (left) arm."

If Wright is the smooth one, then Pollock is the wise sage of the unit.

After last week's four-catch, 65-yard showing, Pollock, who already holds the single-season reception record with 71 in 2003, needs just 15 receptions to pass Na Brown for the school's career reception mark of 165.

Such accomplishment and experience

is why the other four receivers

seek out Pollock for tips - that is, if they can find him.

"With Jarwarski, he's so small, you can't even see him," Wright says. "He just flies through there like you don't even know he's there. He's the old guy on the team, but he's definitely the quickest."

With this wealth of talent, Bunting's disappointment in his wideouts' performance last weekend

is understandable. The quintet

had two scores, but outgained Georgia Tech's Damarius Bilbo and Calvin Johnson by only 12 yards (257-245).

"The receivers have to step up and make plays," Bunting says. "You saw what the Georgia Tech receivers did, they made some plays. It's incumbent on our receivers to make some plays because our quarterback, in my opinion, can get the ball to them."

But in the game's waning moments, just who does Bunting want Baker to depend on for the big play?

The talkative and sure-handed Holley? The athletic, big target in Mitchell? The proven Pollock? The big-play threat in Mason? Or Wright, the smooth, touchdown machine?

All five are sure to give a resounding "me," but the best answer comes from - who else? - Holley.

"Honestly, Matt could really close his eyes and throw it up and I know one of us would bring it down," he says.

Sounds like one person is convinced

the best receiving corps resides in Chapel Hill.