UNC Football: Tar Heels jump in the rankings after landing Travis Shaw

The commitment of five-star defensive tackle Travis Shaw meant a lot for the UNC Football program over the weekend.

Not only was it UNC’s second highest-rated prospect commitment in the history of the program per 247Sports, but it was also a huge get for the future under Mack Brown and where their 2022 class ranks. The Tar Heels were the big winners on Saturday as Shaw picked the Tar Heels over powerhouses Georgia and Clemson with North Carolina A&T also among the finalists.

With the commitment of the 6-foot-5, 310-pound defensive tackle, UNC now has 13 verbal commitments for the 2022 class and the latest was good enough to bump them up a few spots.

UNC jumped from outside the top 20 to No. 13 overall and No. 3 in the Atlantic Coast Conference, behind only Florida State and Clemson. It’s the first commitment from a five-star player for Brown this year but he does have five top 200 players and three top 150 players.

Coming off two top 15 classes in both 2020 and 2021, Brown and his staff are hoping to turn in another one this season and maybe more. UNC still has their eyes on a few big recruits that they are hoping to land. And if they can, we could see this class soar into the top 10 and stay there which would certainly help the future of the program.

While the focus is on this year, building for the future is also key and right now the Tar Heels are starting to secure classes that will certainly impact their future in a good way.

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