If you were to list out the "rival" schools of Virginia Tech, your list may get a bit fuzzy. You obviously have UVa and West Virginia. You can throw in Miami, and maybe even BC (the two have played a conference battle every season since 1993). You could maybe end the list there. But in terms of just disdain, and maybe even a bit of annoyance, you have to throw North Carolina into that mix. It's a regional recruiting battle that has picked up steam in the past 5-6 with Tech's strategy of focusing on North Carolina as a talent pool to compliment the 757. No, it's not a vicious on-field battle. But the tweets are pretty nasty...
2019 Class:
ACC Rank: 6
UNC is as much of a designer brand as any program in the nation, and with that comes an instant connection with recruits. It also doesn't hurt that they're located right in the middle of some of the best recruiting grounds north of Georgia. UNC has ranked in the top 6 in the ACC for the past three classes, despite only mustering up a couple wins each season. It was the number one knock on Fedora – getting talented players to play well at the college level. Mac Brown is looking to change that. Although this class is very much a mix of Fedora's recruits and Mac's recruits, it has a different vibe than anything under Fedora, even in the winning years.
Top Recruit: Sam Howell, QB, Monroe NC (0.9582)
This is exactly what Carolina needed to kick off the Mac Brown Era 2.0, a big time QB recruit. Howell is coming into fall camp right in the thick of a QB battle with incumbent starter Nathan Elliott. Mac Brown won't want to line up against South Carolina in Week 1 with a true freshman QB, no one would. But, he may not have much of a choice unless Elliott develops significantly.
As a QB, Howell fits the very modern model for a run-n-gun QB. He's only 6'. He has some mobility but is not a pure dual threat QB for the college game. Mac Brown compared him to Baker "Touchdown Maker" Mayfield in the spring, but take that with a grain of salt. I'm pretty sure any short QB with a good set of wheels is Baker Mayfield to anyone over the age of 50 at the moment.
Biggest Need: Defensive Beef
Although Carolina has managed to recruit well over the past 5-6 years, they have struggled with depth on the defensive front seven. It's shown its ugly head the last couple years. UNC was 12th in the conference in 2018 in rushing yards allowed per game, 14th in 2017.
In the 2019 class, they landed coveted Virginia OLB prospect Eugene Asante (0.9031) and a massive (physically, that is) DT in Wisdom Asaboro (0.8810). Asaboro is 6'8" 280lbs. Both of those guys can come in and add instant depth and production.
Most Exciting Recruit: Khafre Brown, WR, Charlotte NC (0.9161)
UNC has been here before. They've had no shortage of talented wide receivers in Chapel Hill, but no amount of speed on the outside has helped the Tar Heels the past few years. The hope is, and emphasis on hope, that any sort of competency at QB (enter Sam Howell) and some decent play calling (enter Phil Longo) will result in one of those talented playmakers actually, ya know, making plays.
Brown is a speedster and will act as mostly a downfield threat. He has long arms for someone only 6', but doesn't have the body size to really challenge a bigger corner in the air. He'll need to develop in the weight room, but guys with his speed and catch radius don't come around too often. He could be the next WR in the NFL draft from Carolina.
Early Contributor: Sam Howell
Even if Howell doesn't start week one vs South Carolina, he'll most likely get snaps early on. I've seen Nathan Elliott play, it's not worth keeping talent on the bench. Howell will face a relatively tough schedule for a Coastal team, so expect bumps in the road. But, Mac Brown talks about him like he's the real deal. And Mac Brown knows what a big time QB looks like (see Vince Young and Colt McCoy).
Sam's Grade: B+
This class has star power, and a chance to really bring Carolina out of their funk. They also have the chance to be a bunch of smoke and mirrors just like all the UNC classes before them over the past few years. Ultimately, they have an influx of talent which is never a bad thing. And with Brown as the coach, you have to imagine the transfer portal will be a major point of emphasis in the coming years. It remains to be seen if the program can actually perform on the field. But, there's no doubt that the Hokies biggest recruiting rival in the ACC is 3 hours south in Chapel Hill, NC.
Comments
My only concern with Khafre Brown is his motor. He did not look great in the Shrine Bowl - both practices and the game itself. A lot of work is going to need to be done by Brown to take that next step to be an impact WR and not just a guy who catches passes. I don't want this to seem like i'm being negative, it's just my observation seeing this kid play.
Also, as an FYI, Nathan Elliott isn't on the team anymore. so there's a chance Howell plays right away, but I think it's going to be Ruder or Fortin in the opener.
Giving this class a B+ is too high of a grade because this class did very little to address the absolute pressing needs the UNC had to have to compete right away - on the DL. To me, if Fedora was still the coach, this would have been a C- class. Brown did a nice job getting some skill guys and Howell back into the fold, but to me, this is C+ class for UNC.
Everyone again continues to worry about UNC, but NC State has been eating VTs lunch head to head for a couple of years now. That's the concern for me, not UNC.
And yeah, NCSU has some good players, but I'm not sure they have the brand to come into VA and really compete on the recruiting trail outside of a few guys
Thank you for inadvertently making my point. If everyone here feels that UNC is this otherworldly recruiting juggernaut, then you better be winning more often than not against the "non brand name" schools like NC State. And VT hasn't done that. You don't think Nyheim Hines, Savion Jackson, Alim McNeil, Tim Kidd-Glass, De'Von Graves, Josh Harris etc. wouldn't look good in chicago maroon and burnt orange?
OMG what I would do to have Savion and Alim in O&M right now. The two of them alone would change the outlook for this season.
NCSU doesn't have to come into Virginia to win head to head against us if we're trying to make #NC2VT a thing and recruit in their backyard, though
A big advantage NCSU has is distance from the 757. It's closer to those kids families which is a top selling point for some kids.
They're not making bones in the 757, it's mainly in the Richmond area.
I can only find one Richmond area kid on their roster. Then one from Appomattox, one Danville and one Chesapeake.
Historical but they had russel Wilson
How in the hell did I miss that?! That happened early in the spring but not a lot articles or anything mentioned it
I am only mad when UNC recruits well because they have kept players from coming to us more so than that they will beat us with the players they recruit. UNC is starting to reach Miami levels of wasted talent.
Sam do you think the Jordan provides any actual bump in recruiting? I get more of the sense that UNC is THE SCHOOL in North Carolina and starts at the top of the pecking order when it comes to in-state football recruits despite the Jordan brand.
UNC Basketball has a greater influence than the Jordan brand with respect to football recruiting.
I think for a high school/ college kid, the idea of coming to a school and getting a free pair of $1,000 custom Air Jordan off-whites is a little more attractive than 3 pair of Orange Nike FreeRuns....
I think Carolina (the colors, the logo, etc) is itself kind of a brand. Any time J Cole is court side at basketball games wearing your stuff it's a good look. I'm not saying it's a GOOD reason to pick a school, not that guys are doing that. I just feel like that brand carries a certain weight that a VT or NCSU or WVU or whatever will never have.
We would if Steph curry were sporting maroon and orange everywhere he went. Any pub is good pub. That's why I was pumped when that one alum was dating Britney Spears and she was rocking VT gear.