Receiving Depth Not a Problem

At wide receiver.

Russell, who led the 2000 Tar Heels with 508 rushing yards, said the transition to the new position has been difficult but enjoyable.

"At first, it was confusing, (but) now I'm feeling pretty comfortable," Russell said. "I love it; I love the job."

Russell joins a receiving corps that is among the ACC's deepest.

UNC returns seniors Bosley Allen and Kory Bailey and junior Sam Aiken, who combined last year to catch 101 balls for 1,594 yards and nine touchdowns.

Bailey, who finished second on the team in receiving in 2000 with 32 catches for 550 yards and two touchdowns, said the group's talent and experience are comparable to any other receiving corps in the nation.

"I think we go four or five deep better than a lot of teams in the country," Bailey said. "I'm really excited about the things we're going to be able to do this year."

Much of the excitement comes from the new offensive system implemented by UNC first-year offensive coordinator Gary Tranquill.

At first some of the receivers admitted they at first were skeptical of Tranquill and his schemes.

But after several weeks of practice, some of the wide receivers began to express their confidence with the new playbook.

"(Tranquill's) been in the business for a while, and he expects as lot from you," said Allen, who led the team with 40 catches for 634 yards last season.

Bailey said he expects Tranquill's offense, which includes more pre-snap motion, to improve the team's performance.

"I think Coach Tranquill's put in a lot more shifts and moves and things before the snap of the ball that we're really not used to around here," Bailey said.

"And it makes it a little more exciting to see things like that going on -- making the defense move and be more uncomfortable than they would be if we were just standing around."

The starters also said should one of them become injured, the backup receivers could fit comfortably into the offense, citing junior Chesley Borders and senior Danny Davis as backups who particularly have impressed them.

"The young people who came in, they're picking up real good," Allen said. "We have a lot of depth at wide receiver and a lot of experience. So, we plan on excelling and making big plays this year."

And big plays are what the Tar Heels' offense will need early on as three of the team's first five games are against preseason top-10 teams, including Oklahoma and Florida State.

Despite the tough schedule, Bailey said the coaching staff's enthusiasm has been contagious and that the team is expecting immediate results.

"This is not something they came in to build over the course of time," he said. "They came in and set the bar high, and they expect us to live up to it now."