UNC Football: Are Tar Heels a legit contender for 5-star defensive tackle

Are the North Carolina Tar Heels a legit contender for this five-star defensive tackle in the 2021 recruiting class? One analyst thinks so.

This recruiting “quiet” period hasn’t slowed down Mack Brown and his North Carolina Tar Heels football program. Despite not being able to visit recruits or have them on campus, the Tar Heels have been able to land two recent commitments.

With those additions, UNC capped off a big month of March as their class has 11 commitments and is ranked No. 4 overall per 247 Sports. The month of March was huge for the Tar Heels as they added a few four-star recruits including flipping Alabama commit Drake Maye.

As we enter April and the quiet period lasting through the month and probably longer, the Tar Heels have their sights set on some other players to add to the 2021 class. One of those targets is five-star defensive tackle Payton Page.

The 6-foot-4, 360-pound Page is among the top players in the country, ranking No. 28 overall and No. 2 in the state of North Carolina. He recently cut down his list to five teams but it appears as if there is just three teams seriously still in it.

Rivals.com recruiting analyst Adam Friedman broke down Page and the top contenders for the recruit in his latest article, listing the Tar Heels No. 2 behind only Clemson. Here is what Friedman said about UNC’s chances to land the top target:

"The last thing the Tar Heels want is for Page’s recruitment to turnout to be like Trenton Simpson’s from the 2020 recruiting class. Simpson decommitted from Auburn and North Carolina was the favorite to land his commitment, but he picked Clemson at the very last minute.Mack Brown and his staff have a little more going for them with Page than they did with Simpson and they are hoping it’s enough to put them over the edge. Page is excited about the opportunity to play early in Chapel Hill and he’s just as close, if not closer, with the players at North Carolina than at Clemson. Former teammate and current Tar Heel  Myles Murphy  is one of his closest friends and their families are very close as well."

Friedman believes Clemson is in the driver’s seat right now and the 247 Sports Crystal Ball predictor supports that with the Tigers receiving 75% of the predictions compared to just 25% for UNC. However, don’t count the Tar Heels out just yet.

Brown is still building what could be a very special class in Chapel Hill and has landed some big recruits, especially in the state of North Carolina.

Page is expected to make his decision before the start of his senior year late this Summer and into Fall. With the quiet period ends, hopefully sooner than later, the Tar Heels would love to try to make a big impression and land Page.

For more on the UNC Football program and recruiting, please check back with Keeping It Heel.