UNC Football: Examining the 2013 Recruiting Class

Running Back: At one point in Ryan Switzer’s recruitment, he was considered to be  leaning towards committing to Penn State and many thought a commitment to the Nittany Lions could come at anytime. Switzer then decided take one more visit before selecting his school by traveling to Chapel Hill to see what Larry Fedora and his school offered. He was instantly blown away by the University and was especially attracted to his relationship with Coach Fedora and the energy and honesty he brings to the table. Later that week Ryan selected North Carolina as his school of choice by announcing it at his school. Penn State and UNC were few of the many schools to offer him, such as others schools like West Virginia, Florida State, and Georgia Tech.

Ryan is from the state of West Virginia where he is considered to be the best player in the entire state. The best part of his game is his breakaway speed that often leads him to leaving defences in the dust. This year he finished the season with 45 touchdowns to go along with his 2,796 rushing yards. Through his impressive season performance and combine performances, he has earned invites to the Opening, Semper Fidelis Bowl, and the Army All American game. He has also been invited to be part of the USA 18 and under national team this summer.

Cornerback: After many great visits to UNC, Brian Walker made his commitment to the University official on the Tuesday night of March 20th. This commitment was sparked by the great relationship Brian has with Larry Fedora and his desire to contribute to the idea of a North Carolina dream team. Before becoming a Tar Heel, Brian was being heavily pursued by prestigious programs such as Auburn, South Carolina, and West Virginia. At one point during his recruitment, he considered North Carolina State to be his top choice.This certainly is no longer the case considering Brian will be facing the Wolfpack and the rest of the ACC in pursuit of a conference championship at UNC.

Brian attends Mallard Creek High School, in his hometown of Charlotte, which is a powerhouse football program in not only the state, but the entire nation. Mallard Creek finished their season 13-1, ranked 47th in the country, and had a key win over the two-time defending state champions Butler Bulldogs. Brian was considered to be the biggest weapon of the Mallard Creek defense where he collected 35 tackles, 3 interceptions, 14 pass deflections, and 3 fumble recoveries. Despite being five foot ten, he makes up for it with his great speed and coverage in both zone and man schemes. The best part of Brian’s game is his football instincts and his natural act of being a leader. In result to his great season, he has been nominated to play in the Shrine Bowl game and Army All American game. He also has been recognized by the ESPN 150 when he was recently ranked the 109th player in the nation which is the best out of all the Tar Heel commits.

Safety: Earning scholarship offers was never a problem for Desmond Lawrence. He received scholarships from major schools such as South Carolina, Clemson, and Georgia. On Saturday, April 7th, after visiting with his parents all day, Lawrence committed to North Carolina. Since then, he hasn’t taken any visits except for the ones returning to his future home.

Lawrence, like many of the other commits, lives in Charlotte where he attends Charlotte Christian School. He is part of their highly respected defense where he leads a solid backfield. Last year his squad went 5-5 but they return with most of their starters and are expected to have a solid 2012 season. Desmond is listed as a safety, but many have said he has the abilities to play the cornerback position if needed. Some describe the best part of his game to be his physicality. He also has great natural football instincts.

ATH: After narrowing his list down to the Tar Heels, Blue Devils, and Tennessee Volunteers; Donnie Miles visited UNC to make sure it was the right choice for him before committing. After being blown away by everything on his visit, from the beauty of the campus to the energetic coaching style, he knew that North Carolina was the right place for him. Since that visit Miles has returned to UNC one other time which was for the blue and white spring game and has not visited any other schools.

Sizing in at 5’11’ and about 205 pounds, Miles is one of the most versatile backfield players in this class. He has the abilities to play any of the safety positions as well as the cornerback position. He could even switch over to the offensive side of the ball if needed. Miles goes to school at North Gwinnett High School in Suwanee, Georgia. His high school team finished 10-2 last season and their biggest goal in the upcoming season is to win a state championship. Miles is a great leader and one of the biggest factors in making his early decision was so he could focus on his team and achieving this goal.

Cornerback: Korrin Wiggins, along with his teammate Khris Francis, was one of the first to commit to North Carolina which took place during the UNC-Duke basketball game. He also has received offers from numerous premiere schools all across the country. These schools include the likes of Ohio State, South Carolina, and Clemson. Since committing he has visited other schools such as Clemson, but still remains solid to the Heels and says he’s just enjoying the process with his fellow teammates.

Only a quick drive away from Chapel Hill, Wiggins lives in Durham where he attends Hillside High School. When looking for Wiggins in the Hillside defence you will find him at the cornerback position where he had quite the season. He accumulated 80 tackles, one touchdown, and two forced fumbles. In recognition of his season Wiggins earned All Conference and All Area honors. He is considered to be one of the top backfield prospects in the state and should earn many bowl game invites soon.