Breaking Down the 2020 Recruiting Class: Who's UNC's Best Prospect, Most Likely to Play as a Freshman?
When the dust settled, North Carolina was able to sign 25 of its 26 commits on Wednesday’s National Signing Day, ultimately landing a class that 247 Sports ranked 19 nationally and third in the ACC.
A closer look at the Tar Heels’ Class of 2020 recruiting class:
Best Prospect
Not only is Desmond Evans the best prospect in this class, but he’s one of the top recruits Carolina has ever signed.
A 6-6, 240-pound defensive end at Lee County High School, Evans looked like a man among boys on film, tossing blockers to the side as he caused havoc in the backfield.
He’ll move to one of the outside linebacker spots in Jay Bateman’s defense, which will maximize his strength and athleticism, creating mismatches and allow him to get after quarterbacks.
Most Likely to Play Early
Aaron Crawford and Jason Strowbridge leave big shoes to fill up front, and while Ray Vohasek came on strong toward the end of the season, the Tar Heels have little certainty along the defensive line.
Four-star defensive tackle Kedrick Bingley-Jones arrives in Chapel Hill physically ready to contribute at 6-4, 265 pounds and since he’ll enroll in January, he’ll get a head start on moving up the depth chart.
He’s big and powerful, and thanks to his athleticism, Bingley-Jones is a great fit for what Bateman wants to do with disguising coverages.
Most Intriguing Prospect
Jefferson Boaz might not see the field in 2020 or even 2021, but it’s hard to imagine he won’t find somewhere to contribute at Carolina when he’s ready to play.
Originally slated as a tight end by recruiting services, Boaz exploded as a quarterback as a senior at East Surry this season, throwing for 4,615 yards and 65 touchdowns.
At 6-7, 230 pounds, Boaz is going to make for a giant target at tight end or a quarterback with measurables that NFL scouts love.
Area of Emphasis
Both lines got major boosts in this recruiting class.
Lack of talent and depth on both lines of scrimmage were one of the major reasons Carolina struggled in the final years of the Larry Fedora era, and this season, it was obvious that the Tar Heels had no margin for error on either side of the ball, forcing starters to play entirely too many snaps.
At Mack Brown’s press conference Wednesday, he said Carolina is still about a year from having the depth he really wants.
The Big Miss
With 25 signees, every position group with needs was addressed, but the Tar Heels missed in putting the final cherry on top of the class when linebacker Trenton Simpson committed to Clemson last week.
It appeared for a while that Simpson was heading to Carolina, but when Clemson missed out on Justin Flowe, who signed with Oregon, it turned its attention to the Mallard Creek linebacker, who committed to the Tigers almost immediately.
Can’t blame a kid for following his dreams to some of the nation’s best facilities to practice against elite talent and compete for national titles every season.
Out of the Footprint
Carolina generally stuck around in its East Coast recruiting footprint, but managed to steal quarterback Coby Criswell out of Arkansas, thanks to the relationship he built with offensive coordinator Phil Longo during his time at Ole Miss.
Don’t be surprised if Criswell, a dual-threat, ends up getting on the field some for the Tar Heels as a freshman as part of a special package. Longo wanted to do more of that this season, but with Jace Ruder injured, Carolina didn’t have a good option.
Still in Play
Running back Elijah Burris didn’t get his paperwork in this week but is expected to still sign with Carolina in February.
As of now, the belief is that juniors Chazz Surratt and Tomon Fox will be back next season, but the Tar Heels will probably keep their eyes on a few linebackers heading into the late signing period.
Brown said that he was being judicious with scholarships in preparation for a big 2021 in-state class, but there’s always the possibility that Carolina could go the grad transfer route.
