When it comes to the recruiting trail, North Carolina football under Mack Brown is absolutely obliterating it.
Late this past week, four-star 2021 prospect Drake Maye, the No. 6 pro-style quarterback in the country, committed to North Carolina football. Maye had been committed to Alabama since July of last year.
A day later, wide receiver Kobe Paysour announced that he too is committed to playing for North Carolina football. The North Carolina high schooler is rated as the No. 18 player in the state regardless of position.
This One For You. I’m Committed Momma ❤️📝‼️@CoachGalloway7 @CoachMackBrown @UNCCoachG @DonCallahanIC @NCPreps @SWiltfong247 @RivalsFriedman @HamiltonESPN @JMBrooks17 @TarHeelFootball pic.twitter.com/yD48cBHYWi
— Kobe Paysour 🦹♂️ (@kobepaysour8) March 7, 2020
Then, on Sunday, four-star offensive tackle Eli Sutton tweeted that he has given his verbal to UNC as well. Sutton is rated as the No. 4 player in the state of Tennessee at any position.
COMMITTED🐏❗️ @CoachMackBrown @SSearels @Hayesfawcett3 pic.twitter.com/6NorzZVgBS
— Eli Sutton (@SuttonEli21) March 8, 2020
With Sutton’s and Paysour’s verbals, North Carolina football now has commitments from nine 2021 recruits. Of those nine, eight of them are four-star prospects. That’s tied with Clemson and Florida for the most in this cycle.
For the 2020 cycle, Brown landed nine four-star recruits. That gives him 17 (and counting) in two seasons as the North Carolina football head coach. In the four cycles prior to Brown’s return to Chapel Hill, the program had signed 17 four-star recruits. Combined.
Currently, the Tar Heels can claim the fourth-ranked class in the country. Ohio State (No. 1), Florida (No. 2) and Clemson (No. 3) are the only schools ahead of UNC at the moment.
This century, North Carolina football has never had a Top-Five recruiting class. Their highest-ranked class in that span was 10th in 2007, the first year under Butch Davis. The Tar Heels have had five other classes that were Top 20 -- 2020 (19th), 2018 (20th), 2011 (18th), 2009 (12th) and 2003 (18th).
Brown, of course, is no stranger to highly-rated recruiting classes. His last 14 years as the head coach at Texas, the Longhorns finished in the Top 10 on 10 different occasions. Included among that was the top-ranked class in 2002. Brown also pulled in the No. 2 classes in 2010 and 2012.
All told, Brown had five Top-Five classes during his time in Austin.