For a second straight week, Mack Brown spent a Monday presser trying to explain what happened in another disappointing loss to a subpar team. Prior to him taking the stand, the program released an update on the status of three players who sustained injuries in Saturday night’s game in Atlanta.
The most important of the updates was on the health of Tez Walker after he was taken to the hospital following the game the other night. Per a team spokesman, Walker was released from the hospital on Sunday morning after everything came out good. Brown said he did not speak with Walker on Sunday as they opted to let him rest after a long Saturday night and that he did not practice today. As of right now, he will be monitored throughout the week with an upper-body injury.
Two other offensive skill position players will also be monitored this week. Fellow starting wide receiver Nate McCollum is dealing with a lower-body injury that limited him to just 43 snaps on Saturday. Meanwhile, third-string running back Caleb Hood suffered an upper-body injury on special teams the other night.
If Walker and McCollum are unable to go, the Tar Heels would be forced to rely on some unproven options alongside J.J. Jones. On the outside, Gavin Blackwell, who was a starter to begin the season, looks to be back from an upper-body injury that he was dealing with earlier in the season. He seems like the most logical answer to take over the majority of the snaps with Andre Greene Jr. sliding into the rotational role behind him and Jones. In the slot, Doc Chapman will be the recipient of the extra reps after playing some rotational reps there in the last two weeks. True freshman Christian Hamilton would be the guy that would likely rotate behind him if he was to need a breather.
As for the running back position, if Hood can’t go, this would put the team in a tough spot in terms of the number of bodies. Both Elijah Green and George Pettaway have opted to sit out the remainder of the season and redshirt, so true freshman Jordan Louie, the only other scholarship player in the room, would likely be the third on the depth chart behind Omarion Hampton and British Brooks.