UNC Football: Tar Heels still hoping to add to 2021 recruiting class

The UNC Football program is hoping to add to their 2021 recruiting class in the form of a three-star defensive back

Mack Brown and his UNC Football staff is coming off a 8-4 2020 season that included an Orange Bowl appearance against No. 5 Texas A&M and despite it ending on a bad note, the expectations for next season are very high.

The Tar Heels are looking to build off their Orange Bowl appearance and will look at their 2021 recruiting class. Brown and the staff signed their 2021 class during the early signing period, a class that is ranked inside the Top 20 even with their prized five-star recruit, Tony Grimes, enrolling early and playing this season.

But the Tar Heels might not be done yet.

With that 18 man recruiting class, UNC is hoping to add at least one more player to it to end it ahead of National Signing Day in a few weeks. Their newest target is a three-star defensive back that is starting to show more and more interest in the Tar Heels.

Defensive back Dontae Balfour out of Bradford, Florida is ranked as the No. 740 overall recruit, No. 62 defensive back, and No. 97 in the state of Florida. Balfour is uncommitted and down to some big schools: Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Oregon, and North Carolina.

But where do the Tar Heels stand? With that 18 man class it felt like UNC was done but now they are being considered for Balfour as 247 Sports points out:

"Schools Involved: Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State, Oregon, North CarolinaJust like with offensive linemen, schools always seem to be searching for cornerbacks late in the cycle, and Dontae Balfour is one of the best available. The lanky defender has plenty of size as he’s listed at 6-foot-2, 170 pounds and a nice athletic profile as he competed at the state track meet in the 300-meter hurdles and triple jump as a sophomore. On the field, Balfour made 39 tackles and picked off three passes as a senior. That’s after coming down with seven interceptions as a junior."

It’s tough to tell where Balfour stands right now going into signing day but rumblings are that the Tar Heels are a legit candidate to land him. with depth needed in the secondary, adding Balfour would be huge.

They have some tough competition in terms of three SEC schools and the best PAC-12 school on their table, however. Balfour will be someone to watch as we inch closer to decision day.

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