UNC Football: Tar Heels battle elite programs for top-20 prospect

UNC football program battling perennial powers for top-20 prospect in the class of 2021

Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels are putting together one of the program’s best recruiting hauls in years, nabbing commitments from seven 4-star prospects in the class of 2020. And they’re not even done yet.

Continuing on that path, they’ve already got a commitment from Dontavius Nash, a 4-star safety from Gastonia, North Carolina that’s ranked in the top-250 of the 2021 class. The Tar Heels have scholarship offers extended to talented players across the country, but maybe none more than Payton Page.

Page is a 6-foot-4, 315-pound defensive tackle from Greensboro’s Dudley High School that’s ranked No. 5 in the nation according to the 247Sports Composite. The top-ranked player at his position, and No, 1 in the state of North Carolina, Page has better than 30 offers from many of college football’s top programs, including  Alabama, Clemson, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas and Texas A&M, among others.

Perhaps the Tar Heels’ stiffest competition for Page is coming from Clemson and Georgia, both of whom are expected to give Mack Brown’s program all it can handle on the recruiting trail. Page is expected to be in Athens for the Bulldogs’ game against Notre Dame on Saturday, and it’s no secret that Georgia has prioritized a commitment from the talented lineman. So, too, has Clemson, though, and the Tigers’ two national titles in past three years — as well as their current run atop the college football rankings — speaks volumes to elite high school players.

But it could be North Carolina that has the edge in Page’s recruitment thanks to his budding relationship with the UNC program and its coaching staff, as well as his friendship with class of 2020 Tar Heels commit Myles Murphy. Rivals’ Adam Friedman said as much in a recent recruiting update, going so far as to call North Carolina his current favorite for Page.

"“As of right now, I would go with UNC because of his relationship with Tar Heels commit Myles Murphy,” Friedman wrote. “But Georgia, Clemson and UNC will all be top contenders as he gets closer to a decision, which does not seem as if it is close. Clemson’s history with defensive linemen will play a factor.“I also think his development from this year into next year will play a factor as well. He’s gotten back into shape and doing well this year, and colleges want to see that consistent work ethic and development.”"

There are still others, however, that think it’s far more likely that Page ends up at Clemson or another national powerhouse. Considering where the Tar Heels were just a short time ago, though, it’s extremely promising that North Carolina is being seen as a legitimate destination for such highly touted prospects.

The Tar Heels face off with Appalachian State at 3:30 p.m. EST on Saturday afternoon ahead of a matchup with No. 1 Clemson next week. Stick with Keeping It Heel for complete coverage of Saturday’s game, and all the latest on the Payton Page recruitment.