The early signing period for football prospects is Wednesday and North Carolina expects to have at least 17 signatures come in for the class of 2019.
This is the second year with an early signing period, and it’s expected that most committed prospects around the country will sign during this period, which runs from Dec. 19-21. National Signing Day is still in early February, which is when most classes will be complete.
THI has been scouring the landscape to learn what we can as Mack Brown and his new staff have worked to bring in their first class. Here are some notes as we are on the eve of signing day:
*It should be noted that the new staff changed course quite a bit from the previous one, moving on from six previous commitments and bringing in a few kids that weren’t really previously on the Carolina radar.
*As of now, UNC has 16 commitments and we expect all 17 to sign, likely in this early period.
*We expect UNC will land perhaps four more prospects who will sign, mostly likely Wednesday.
*Not signing in this period will be 4-star safety Anthony Harris from Havelock, NC. Harris has been committed to Tennessee since June 9 of this year but has decided to not sign at all during the early period and has scheduled an official visit to UNC during January.
*Also not signing is JC defensive end Ray Vohasek, who visited Kansas this past weekend and is also showing a lot of interest in Oregon State. Vohasek visited UNC the weekend of the N.C. State game and told THI on Monday he will visit UNC again in January. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
*4-Star QB Sam Howell has been the most talked about prospect the Tar Heels are after since Brown was hired late last month. Howell remains committed to Florida State, but it’s no secret he had a great deal of interest in UNC when Larry Fedora was head coach and now that he’s gotten to know the new staff, he’s still very interested in Carolina.
Howell spent last week in Spartanburg, SC, preparing for the Shrine Bowl, which he played in on Saturday, and Sunday he visited Chapel Hill for his first in-person meeting with new UNC offensive coordinator and QB coach Phil Longo. According to Howell’s father, Duke, the visit went very well.
Howell is set to reveal his decision Wednesday at 2:30, which is 30 minutes before Mack Brown’s signing day press conference at the Kenan Football Center.
THI’s Take on Howell is that we believe UNC is in very good shape here.
*3-Star offensive tackle Triston Miller recently decommitted from N.C. State after committing to the Wolfpack over UNC during the summer. But with State losing its OL coach and offensive coordinator, Miller re-opened his recruitment, and State is no longer in contention for him.
Miller, who is from Charlotte, has narrowed his list to Southern Cal, where he visited this past weekend, Louisville, where the OL coach from State (Dwayne Ledford) now works, and UNC.
THI’s Take is that UNC is in very good shape here. While Miller was once also committed to Wake Forest, it should be known that each time he’s committed somewhere or gotten close to committing, UNC has always been very much in the mix. It may win out this time. He’s expected to sign Wednesday.
*3-Star defensive end Tomari Fox, the younger brother of current UNC starting DE Tomon Fox, has been to UNC quite a few times, including camping there at the Freak Show this past summer where he performed very well. Fox, who is from Suwanee, GA, visited Georgia Tech this past weekend and Iowa in the summer. The Hawkeyes have been in contention all along and remain so.
THI spoke with Fox on Monday about the new staff and here’s what he said: “I think they're are definitely some improvements coming there and you can see how invested into making Carolina great again.”
He also said he’s quickly developed a relationship with new DL coach Tim Cross. Fox plans on signing this week, though he didn’t specify which day.
THI’s Take is that UNC is in good shape, but not enough we are comfortable nailing down Fox as certain to sign with the Tar Heels.
*3-Star defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie has long been considered a UNC lean, and at times a heavy UNC lean. But he hasn’t yet committed, and over the last month or so Ohio State has made a very strong push for him. McKenzie attends Wake Forest (NC) High School, a place UNC has had success recruiting in recent years.
Two years ago, Carolina landed 4-star DL Xach Gill from Wake Forest and last year the Heels got 3-star DB Javon Terry and 4-star RB Devon Lawrence. All three players remain in the program. McKenzie visited Ohio State late last month and the momentum has shifted in the Buckeyes’ favor since that trip. However, this may not be the lock many pundits are suggesting.
THI’s Take is the talk and many media reports have pointed toward Ohio State the last 10 days, but don’t count out UNC or Wake Forest. The latter two are still alive, though the Heels might actually be third at this time.
*Given how things have gone with this staff so far, getting commitments from a few kids that weren’t previously on the UNC radar until Brown took over, we advise there might be another surprise or two that at this time we don’t have a handle on.
This is the second year with an early signing period, and it’s expected that most committed prospects around the country will sign during this period, which runs from Dec. 19-21. National Signing Day is still in early February, which is when most classes will be complete.
THI has been scouring the landscape to learn what we can as Mack Brown and his new staff have worked to bring in their first class. Here are some notes as we are on the eve of signing day:
*It should be noted that the new staff changed course quite a bit from the previous one, moving on from six previous commitments and bringing in a few kids that weren’t really previously on the Carolina radar.
*As of now, UNC has 16 commitments and we expect all 17 to sign, likely in this early period.
*We expect UNC will land perhaps four more prospects who will sign, mostly likely Wednesday.
*Not signing in this period will be 4-star safety Anthony Harris from Havelock, NC. Harris has been committed to Tennessee since June 9 of this year but has decided to not sign at all during the early period and has scheduled an official visit to UNC during January.
*Also not signing is JC defensive end Ray Vohasek, who visited Kansas this past weekend and is also showing a lot of interest in Oregon State. Vohasek visited UNC the weekend of the N.C. State game and told THI on Monday he will visit UNC again in January. He will have three years of eligibility remaining.
*4-Star QB Sam Howell has been the most talked about prospect the Tar Heels are after since Brown was hired late last month. Howell remains committed to Florida State, but it’s no secret he had a great deal of interest in UNC when Larry Fedora was head coach and now that he’s gotten to know the new staff, he’s still very interested in Carolina.
Howell spent last week in Spartanburg, SC, preparing for the Shrine Bowl, which he played in on Saturday, and Sunday he visited Chapel Hill for his first in-person meeting with new UNC offensive coordinator and QB coach Phil Longo. According to Howell’s father, Duke, the visit went very well.
Howell is set to reveal his decision Wednesday at 2:30, which is 30 minutes before Mack Brown’s signing day press conference at the Kenan Football Center.
THI’s Take on Howell is that we believe UNC is in very good shape here.
*3-Star offensive tackle Triston Miller recently decommitted from N.C. State after committing to the Wolfpack over UNC during the summer. But with State losing its OL coach and offensive coordinator, Miller re-opened his recruitment, and State is no longer in contention for him.
Miller, who is from Charlotte, has narrowed his list to Southern Cal, where he visited this past weekend, Louisville, where the OL coach from State (Dwayne Ledford) now works, and UNC.
THI’s Take is that UNC is in very good shape here. While Miller was once also committed to Wake Forest, it should be known that each time he’s committed somewhere or gotten close to committing, UNC has always been very much in the mix. It may win out this time. He’s expected to sign Wednesday.
*3-Star defensive end Tomari Fox, the younger brother of current UNC starting DE Tomon Fox, has been to UNC quite a few times, including camping there at the Freak Show this past summer where he performed very well. Fox, who is from Suwanee, GA, visited Georgia Tech this past weekend and Iowa in the summer. The Hawkeyes have been in contention all along and remain so.
THI spoke with Fox on Monday about the new staff and here’s what he said: “I think they're are definitely some improvements coming there and you can see how invested into making Carolina great again.”
He also said he’s quickly developed a relationship with new DL coach Tim Cross. Fox plans on signing this week, though he didn’t specify which day.
THI’s Take is that UNC is in good shape, but not enough we are comfortable nailing down Fox as certain to sign with the Tar Heels.
*3-Star defensive tackle Jaden McKenzie has long been considered a UNC lean, and at times a heavy UNC lean. But he hasn’t yet committed, and over the last month or so Ohio State has made a very strong push for him. McKenzie attends Wake Forest (NC) High School, a place UNC has had success recruiting in recent years.
Two years ago, Carolina landed 4-star DL Xach Gill from Wake Forest and last year the Heels got 3-star DB Javon Terry and 4-star RB Devon Lawrence. All three players remain in the program. McKenzie visited Ohio State late last month and the momentum has shifted in the Buckeyes’ favor since that trip. However, this may not be the lock many pundits are suggesting.
THI’s Take is the talk and many media reports have pointed toward Ohio State the last 10 days, but don’t count out UNC or Wake Forest. The latter two are still alive, though the Heels might actually be third at this time.
*Given how things have gone with this staff so far, getting commitments from a few kids that weren’t previously on the UNC radar until Brown took over, we advise there might be another surprise or two that at this time we don’t have a handle on.
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