All Tar Heels

North Carolina Signing Day Hub

Tar Heels look to lock up No. 13 class
Shawn Krest|
North Carolina Signing Day Hub
North Carolina Signing Day Hub

UNC is expected to sign all 18 members of its 2021 recruiting class on the first day of the early signing period. 

The class is ranked No. 13 by SI All American. Here are the members who have committed to Carolina, with Jonah Lossiah's evaluations:

Keeshawn Silver, DE/Rocky Mount (Rocky Mount, NC) – Will have the ability to play multiple positions on the defensive line. He will look to get playing time his first year on campus. Silver also wishes to be a two-sport athlete at UNC by playing basketball as well. 

Drake Maye, QB/Myer Park (Charlotte, NC) – A pro-style quarterback that has climbed his way up rankings over the last year. Originally committed to Alabama, Maye flipped to UNC in March. 

Raneiria ‘RaRa’ Dillworth, OLB/Glenn (Kernersville, NC) – One of the fastest linebackers in the class. Dillworth is adding to his frame, but has potential to be a ‘do-it-all’ athlete on the defensive side of the ball. 

Power Echols, ILB/Vance (Charlotte, NC) – Led his team to a state championship in his sophomore season. He also possesses a tremendous amount of speed and versatility. Down the line he could be pair with Dillworth to have one of the fastest linebacking groups in the ACC. 

Jahvaree Ritzie, DE/Glenn (Kernersville, NC) – A powerful strongside defensive end. Like Silver, Ritzie has the athleticism to move around the line for the best matchups. 

DeAndre Boykins, Athlete/Central Cabarrus (Concord, NC) – Has a chance to play either safety or running back in college but will most likely offer more on defense. 

Gavin Blackwell, WR/Sun Valley (Monroe, NC) – A pure receiver of the ball, Blackwell will need to add to his slim frame at the next level. He is a good route runner and knows the game. He also has played with quarterback Sam Howell in the past. 

Gabe Stephens, Athlete/ Mountain Island Charter (Mount Holly, NC) – Played wide receiver and standup defensive end, the UNC coaching staff will need to tinker to find his best position. He is a fantastic athlete. 

Kamarro Edmonds, RB/Havelock (Havelock, NC) – An every-down back. Has great size for the position, is very strong, quick, and is a good receiver out of the backfield. He needs to improve is overall speed. He is the ideal type of back for Phil Longo’s offense. 

Eli Sutton, OT/Brentwood Academy (Brentwood, TN) – A really long athlete that will greatly benefit from strength programs at UNC. He has tremendous potential as a pass blocker. 

Dontavius Nash, Safety/Hunter Huss (Gastonia, NC) – A tall safety and strong safety. He has good ball skills as he also played wide receiver. 

Bryson Nesbit, TE/South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, NC) – A late addition to the class, the 6’6” tight end committed this month. He is still growing into his frame and has only played one year of high school football. He is a developmental prospect with a high ceiling as a receiving TE 

JJ Jones, WR/Myrtle Beach (Myrtle Beach, SC) – Another long athlete with ton of potential. He will only play two years of high school football before coming to UNC but was still very productive. He could be a great deep threat in his career. 

Kobe Paysour, WR/Gaffney (Gaffney, SC) – He transferred to Gaffney in order to play his senior season. Shows a knack for making plays but does not have overwhelming size or speed. He will need to continue building on his breaks and route tree. 

Diego Pounds, OT/Millbrook (Raleigh, NC) – A big, strong prospect that could play tackle or guard. He will need to continue to add strength. 

Tymir Brown, Athlete/Jacksonville (Jacksonville, NC) – A running quarterback and defensive back in high school, he will likely play as an offensive skill player at UNC. He has good running abilities and speed.

Caleb Hood, Athlete/Richmond (Rockingham, NC) – A dual-threat quarterback at Richmond, Hood is planning to be a running back at UNC. He has added a lot of weight to his frame and shows good speed. 

Trevion Stevenson, DE/Phoebus (Hampton, VA) – One the in-between athletes that Jay Bateman covets. He isn’t quite a defensive end or outside linebacker but is a long athlete with pass rushing potential. 

7:15 AM: Stevenson is the first one in

7:30: Echols is in

7:45: Hood is in

8:00: Silver is in

8:15: Dillworth is in

Carolina seems to be giving each signee their 15 minutes of fame before announcing the next letter to arrive. 

8:30: Play the theme from All in the Family ... Drake Maye is in.

8:45: Edmonds is in

9:00: Nash is in

Status as we wait for the 9:15 announcement ... eight are in, 10 more to go. No surprises yet. 

9:15: Pounds is in

9:30: Boykins is in

9:45: Paysour is in

10:00: Sutton is in

10:15: The latest commitment, Nesbit, is in. Five are left unsigned (or unannounced, anyway)

10:30: Tymir Brown is in

10:45: Gabe Stephens is in

We've got three left: Jahvaree Ritzie, Gavin Blackwell and JJ Jones

11:00 AM: No new announcement from UNC football's social media. We're apparently in a holding pattern, waiting for the final three. Some late drama on NSD morning... 

Ritzie has a signing ceremony scheduled at 2:00. Often, recruits fake the ceremony after already turning in the official NLI, but it's possible he's waiting to sign and send the real thing.

Blackwell is also planning a 2:00 signing

and Jones is signing at 2:00. So we're officially in a holding pattern for a few hours. 

It's also possible UNC already has the paperwork and is just respecting the students' announcements before tweeting it out. 

Published
Shawn Krest
SHAWN KREST

Shawn Krest

Home/Football