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UNC Football: Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class ranked among nation’s best

By Blake Cockrum

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 38-22 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GEORGIA - OCTOBER 05: Head coach Mack Brown of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after their 38-22 win over the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium on October 05, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The UNC football program secured two more 4-star prospects, and now ranks among the nation’s best recruiting classes.

Following up a terrific recruiting haul for the Tar Heels last season, North Carolina head coach Mack Brown is off to a great start with the class of 2021.

He signed nine 4-star prospects in last year’s class — and one 5-star, depending on the recruiting outlet you trust — giving the Tar Heels the No. 19-ranked recruiting class in the nation. That’s their highest ranking since 2011, and the most such recruits in better than a decade.

More recently, the Tar Heels picked up pledges from two 4-star prospects, Gabe Stephens and Gavin Blackwell, adding to a class that already had two top-250 commits. Now, with four 4-star pledges from 2021 prospects, the Tar Heels’ recruiting class is ranked 10th in the nation. That puts North Carolina ahead USC (12), Florida State (15), Alabama (16), Auburn (17), Texas A&M (18), LSU (19), Oklahoma (20), Georgia (24) and Michigan (28), among others.

The Tar Heels’ commitment from Blackwell on Monday gave them their first top-100 prospect in the 2021 class, and third over the past two seasons. He’s ranked No. 84 in the nation, and 14th among players at his position. He’s fourth in the state of North Carolina, highlighting Brown’s emphasis on securing in-state football talent above all else. Stephens, who committed to UNC just three days prior, is ranked 240th in the nation, and 13th in the state of North Carolina. Their 2021 4-star running mates, Power Echols and Dontavius Nash, are ranked No. 11 and No. 14 in the state, respectively.

The Tar Heels have a number of scholarship offers out to highly ranked prospects in the class. There’s no telling where their next commitment will come from, but with the start that Brown and company are already off to, it looks to be another special class on its way to Chapel Hill next year.

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For all the latest on the Tar Heels’ 2021 recruiting class, and everything UNC football, check back with Keeping It Heel.

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