Football: UNC turns to Jones for production

When Dwight Jones finally stepped over the thick white sideline and onto the field last year, he also took a major stride in his journey to play Division I football.

His arduous path to being a starter for North Carolina has included repeated academic ineligibility, errors in qualification papers, and a spot on a Division II roster.

In short, it's been a mess.

But with that behind him, Jones is poised to have a breakout year as the Tar Heels' most exciting wide receiver.

"I've made a lot of progress from when I came here," Jones said. "I feel like I've come a long way."

Jones' game experience is limited. He has only lined up for a snap during three games, and he has yet to record a reception.

And he's not alone — the rest of the receiving corps mirror his inexperience. Only Greg Little, a grizzled veteran among this group as a junior, has real experience at the position, and he caught just 11 passes for 146 yards and no scores last year.

The rest of the cast is made up of underclassmen and position transfers.

"The freshmen at times have done good things; at other times, looked like deer in the headlights," UNC coach Butch Davis said.

"(Citadel) hopefully will be a great measuring stick as to who are going to be the playmakers. Who's going to be dependable, who's going to be accountable, who we can count on every single play to be in the right spot, to make the plays and catch the football?"

The reason for the brand new group is that graduation and the NFL robbed the Tar Heels of their top three pass catchers from 2008.

Hakeem Nicks, Brooks Foster and Brandon Tate, who combined for nearly 2,000 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns, are all missing from the 2009 roster.

Leading the way to fill their shoes are Little and Jones. But joining them are a host of other wideouts competing for time.

Junior Johnny White, who has played tailback, cornerback and special teams in his career, made the switch to receiver this summer. White is the fastest out of the group, and could be utilized as a deep threat.

"He is a very electric athlete," quarterback T.J. Yates said of White. "He's one of the fastest guys on the team. We are definitely going to use that speed on offense."

Redshirt freshman Todd Harrelson and freshmen Erik Highsmith, Joshua Adams and Jheranie Boyd will also likely see time early in the season as the position battle remains undecided.

"We're a talented bunch of guys," Little said. "Guys that like to have fun on the field, guys that have a lot of personality. And we're building a relationship on and off the field."

Even with some talent, wide receiver will likely be the Tar Heels' least polished position entering the first week. Davis said that the group has shown considerable improvement since the start of camp, but that there is a long way to go for the group.

He said that five different wideouts will likely see action against The Citadel.

What the Tar Heels are really looking for, though, is that guy who can be counted on Jones' teammates think he can be that guy. But for Jones, simply stepping on the field will be another big stride.

"My goal was to get here," Jones said. "It took me forever to get here. When I step on the field, I just want to make plays."