University of North Carolina Athletics
GoHeels Exclusive: Galloway on the Wide Receivers
May 28, 2019 | Football, Featured Writers
By Pat James, GoHeels.com
At multiple stops in his 22-year coaching career, North Carolina receivers coach Lonnie Galloway has coached in systems similar to UNC's new Air Raid offense.
Many of those offenses have found great success. So, when Galloway talks about the opportunities Tar Heel receivers will be presented in offensive coordinator Phil Longo's system, he speaks from experience.
"I've seen it produce first-round draft picks, second-round draft picks," Galloway said. "I've seen people catch 27 touchdowns in this system. I've seen Biletnikoff (Award) finalists in this system. It is a skill player's dream to be able to know that I can move around and get to grass."
The idea of "chasing grass" is among the defining concepts of the Air Raid. For that reason, Galloway said you want twitchy receivers with good hands. But instincts, he added, "allow the system to succeed."
Instead of running scripted pass routes, receivers are granted an abundance of route-running freedom in the Air Raid, with their primary responsibility being to find open space. When describing his offense, Longo typically uses the following example: If a receiver is running a post route and the safety is playing up, the receiver might run more of a vertical route. If the safety is playing back, the receiver might run more of an underneath route.
"It allows athletes to go be athletes," Longo said. "They're not confined by the drawing of a post route in a playbook. … Decisions are made by the receiver and he's doing it athletically and he's doing it on the fly. And he's really doing it without having to think, it's instinctively reacting to where the grass is.
"The quarterback is always throwing to the guy who's in space. We don't have as many contested catches for throws in this offense because of the nature that we allow receivers to run routes."
Galloway said he'd like to employ seven or eight receivers in the fast-paced offense. If the Tar Heels average 80-85 plays each game, he said the main receivers are on the field for about 50. To keep them fresh, you need other players to step up and play the remaining snaps.
At the end of spring ball, Galloway said there were six receivers who he'd feel comfortable using in a game. They were Corey Bell Jr., Dyami Brown, Beau Corrales, Antoine Green, Toe Groves and Dazz Newsome. Galloway also said Roscoe Johnson has shown "some good things."
Among Carolina's returning receivers, Newsome played the most snaps (445) last season, according to Pro Football Focus. He caught 44 passes for 506 yards and two touchdowns.
"He's one of the guys we will count on," Galloway said. "He's what you look for in a slot receiver. He's twitchy. He's just got to become more consistent. … He's got to be a guy who we have to count on day in and day out to make those plays, tough plays inside. You have to be a tough player to be able to play inside in this system because we're putting you in situations where a lot of the times you're matched up against a kid who is not as twitchy as those guys are.
"He's explosive. There are a lot of different ways we can get the ball to him. He showed last year he can make the big play. He's just got to be consistent. I'm excited for him in this system."
If Newsome is able to provide consistency in the slot, he'll likely draw a lot of the defense's attention. That, Galloway said, could lend itself to UNC's outside receivers getting the one-on-one matchups they desire.
"Outside-wise, you look for guys who are like Beau – big, tall, athletic," Galloway said. "It's going to be a combination of Beau, Antoine, Dyami, out of those three. And you throw Roscoe in there and we've got some freshmen who are coming in."
The Tar Heels will roster four freshman receivers this fall. Among them is Emery Simmons, an early enrollee who 247Sports.com ranks as the No. 62 receiver in the Class of 2019. Joining him will be Khafre Brown, the No. 31 receiver; Welton Spottsville, the No. 105 receiver; and Justin Olson, the No. 182 receiver.
Simmons might have a jump on his fellow classmates. But all four could earn playing time this fall.
"We're going to play the best guys," Galloway said. "And if that's Emery or Welton or Justin who are coming in, they'll play."
No matter who does, they'll have an opportunity to produce in Carolina's Air Raid offense.
"It's a skill player-friendly system that if you're clicking, there could be two 100-catch guys, over 1,000-yard guys," Galloway said. "I've seen it. Coach Longo has seen it. So it's not that we're trying to practice the Air Raid. We are the Air Raid. We're not mixing and matching. We're going to line up and we're going to go at you."
