Receiver, North Carolina, 2020–⁠22

Josh Downs

Number
No. 11
Height
5′10″
Weight
175 lb
Class (2022)
Junior
Hometown
Suwanee, GA
Born
Aug 12, 2001

Josh Downs played receiver at North Carolina (2020–⁠22). The Indianapolis Colts took Downs in round 3, No. 79 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.

At a glance

Best season
1,335
Receiving yards, 2021 (North Carolina, 6–⁠7)
Best game
203 yards
Vs. Virginia, week 3, 2021: No. 1 receiving game in FBS that week
National rank
No. 9
In FBS in receiving touchdowns, 2022
Drafted
No. 79
Round 3, 2023 NFL Draft (Indianapolis Colts)

Career highs

15catches, career highat Virginia, 2022203receiving yards, career highvs. Virginia, 20213receiving touchdowns, career highat Wake Forest, 2022

Receiving

Receiving yards, season by season, with his team’s record
SeasonTeamRecYdsAvgTDLong
2020North Carolina711917.0375
2021North Carolina1011,33513.2863
2022North Carolina941,02910.91143
Career2022,48312.32275

Returns

SeasonTeamPRYdsTD
2021North Carolina171490
2022North Carolina101330
Career272820

Season lines from CollegeFootballData, regular season and bowls.

On the roster

SeasonTeamNo.PosClassHtWt
2020North Carolina11WRFr.
2021North Carolina11WRSo.
2022North Carolina11WRJr.5′10″175

As each season’s roster listed the player (CollegeFootballData). Classes before the latest listing are counted back from it; “Yr 1” is the year on file where that count can’t place a season he played (a redshirt, transfer or 2020 year); height and weight as last listed.

Per play

SeasonTeamPlaysEPA/playPctileMedianTotalUsage
2020North Carolina91.26––11.3–
2021North Carolina1400.6243rd (n=410)0.6787.316%
2022North Carolina1160.7048th (n=683)0.7180.814%

Expected points added: how much the player’s plays moved the team’s expected score, per play and in total. Plays: total EPA divided by EPA per play, the plays the source credits to him (for a receiver roughly his catches and runs, not every target; for a passer, not every attempt), so it can differ from attempts plus carries. Percentile: against the position’s regulars that season across all divisions on file (quarterbacks with 150+ plays, backs 60+, receivers and tight ends 30+), with how many there were (n) and their median; a dash means too few plays to rank. A season in progress uses the full-season bar scaled by games played, never below 75 plays for quarterbacks, 30 for backs and 20 for receivers. The cohort grows or shrinks with the source’s coverage each season (2025 lists far more players), so compare percentiles rather than raw EPA across years. FCS seasons are marked. Usage: the share of the team’s plays the player was part of (shown from 20 plays). From CollegeFootballData, 2013 on.

Game by game

2022 North Carolina 11 games, 94 catches, 1,029 yards, 11 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDPR
Aug 27vs.Florida A&MW 56–⁠2497821
Sep 24vs.Notre DameL 32–⁠455322–
Oct 1vs.Virginia TechW 41–⁠10812001
Oct 8atMiamiW 27–⁠246691–
Oct 15atDukeW 38–⁠35912601
Oct 29vs.PittsburghW 42–⁠241110221
Nov 5atVirginiaW 31–⁠281516612
Nov 12atWake ForestW 36–⁠34111543–
Nov 19vs.Georgia TechL 17–⁠2133102
Nov 25vs.NC StateL 27–⁠3065101
Dec 3vs.ClemsonL 10–⁠391110001
2021 North Carolina 13 games, 101 catches, 1,335 yards, 8 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDPR
Sep 3atVirginia TechL 10–⁠1781231–
Sep 11vs.Georgia StateW 59–⁠1787311
Sep 18vs.VirginiaW 59–⁠39820321
Sep 25vs.Georgia TechL 22–⁠4585312
Oct 2vs.DukeW 38–⁠7816816
Oct 9vs.Florida StateL 25–⁠35912112
Oct 16vs.MiamiW 45–⁠4211961–
Oct 30atNotre DameL 34–⁠44101420–
Nov 6vs.Wake ForestW 58–⁠5543501
Nov 11atPittsburghL 23–⁠3089501
Nov 20vs.WoffordW 34–⁠1488902
Nov 26atNC StateL 30–⁠3487501
Dec 30 ✦vs.South CarolinaL 21–⁠383620–
2020 North Carolina 4 games, 7 catches, 119 yards, 3 TD
DateOpponentResultRecRec ydsRec TDPR
Sep 12vs.SyracuseW 31–⁠6110–
Oct 24vs.NC StateW 48–⁠211171–
Nov 27vs.Notre DameL 17–⁠311100–
Jan 2 ✦vs.Texas A&ML 27–⁠414912–

Box scores from CollegeFootballData, 2004 on. ✦ postseason; ★ a career high on file.

Before the draft

DrillCombine 2023Combine or pro day 2023
Height5′8¾″
Weight171 lb
Arm length30⅜″
Hand size9¼″
Wingspan73⅜″W
40-yard dash4.48 s
10-yard split1.49 s
Vertical jump38½″
Broad jump10′11″
3-cone drill6.75 s
20-yard shuttle4.15 s

Combine or pro day: the source doesn’t say which. Unmarked: Combine and pro day results compiled by array-carpenter (nfl-draft-data); W: Pre-draft measurables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

In the NFL

4 seasons, 52 games with a stat; latest team: Indianapolis Colts.

SeasonTeamGRecYdsTD
2023Indianapolis Colts17687712
2024Indianapolis Colts14728035
2025Indianapolis Colts16585664
2026 (so far)Indianapolis Colts5202490
NFL career522182,38911

Regular seasons, from nflverse (CC BY 4.0). G counts games in which the player recorded a stat.

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