Mack Brown uses Josh Downs as example of explaining roles to redshirted freshmen

North Carolina has had a run of talent at the wide receiver position under head coach Mack Brown. And once he’s again in the position of replacing departed stars at the wideout this fall. Luckily, the Tar Heels heightened recruiting efforts in the last few years have paid dividends, blessing Carolina with plenty of replacement options. Some who are redshirt freshmen.

But does having redshirt your freshman year count as a knock to Brown? Not at all, he says. Many a great player have redshirted their freshman year of college football. Including, potentially, these very young wide receivers Brown is talking about.

At a recent press conference, Mack Brown gave examples of his past stars who had redshirted, explaining that it doesn’t have any negative impact under his programs.

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Here were his comments when asked what he’s telling redshirt freshmen ahead of their first season of live action:

“Knowing that at any moment — that’s it’s about the team. Be ready to play,” Brown said, before moving onto some of his examples of past great who redshirted.

“We brought up an example of Josh Downs. We didn’t play him enough as a freshman. He had Dazz Newsome in front of him. But we did a poor job as a staff because Dazz was so good. We’re close in every game, we didn’t have opportunities, we should have put him in. But, number one, he stayed. He competed and then when he got his chance in the bowl game. It led him to the next year being the all-time leading receiver in one year in the history of our school. So we used him as an example yesterday.

“We used Dre Bly as an example. I redshirted Dre Bly. Redshirted Brian Simmons and Greg Ellis and Julius Peppers. So if those guys think they’re better than any of those guys, then let’s go visit and get some video. Let’s compare yours to theirs at this time. But we feel like that every position is disappointed if they’re not walking out there first.

“And that’s why we’re trying to work toward having a blue team and really Jacolby [Criswell] would be on the blue team because either one of those quarterbacks can walk out there at any time.”