UNC Football Recruiting: Tar Heels a ‘dark horse’ for nation’s top safety

The North Carolina Tar Heels are in the hunt for the top safety in the class of 2023.

Caleb Downs is viewed as the top safety prospect in the Class of 2023.

Downs, Hoschton, Georgia native, currently ranks as the No. 10 overall prospect in his class as well as the top player from his respective state, according to the latest 247 Sports rankings.

Needless to say, there are a ton of teams vying to land a commitment from the two-time MaxPreps All-American honoree.

You’re probably wondering: is the UNC football program making a push to land Downs? According to one analyst, the Tar Heels may be a ‘dark horse’ in this recruitment.

Even though Downs is not expected to make a decision until August, Andrew Ivins of 247 Sports went into detail about some of the teams in the mix. Ivins had some interesting things to say about the UNC football program:

"If there’s a dark horse in this recruitment, it has got to be UNC. And why not? Downs’ older brother, Josh, goes to school there and was an All-ACC selection this past season, but his uncle, Dre Bly, also happens to be a full-time coach for the Tar Heels. A few weeks ago, when Downs attended a Junior Day at North Carolina, he and some friends stayed at Bly’s house, which says a lot about the family. Bly likely is telling the younger Downs to do what’s best for him, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t angle for the Tar Heels to at least get an official visit.One other thing to note with UNC and Downs is the fact that Chalrton Warren now works in Chapel Hill. The veteran assistant at one time was recruiting Downs to Georgia and Downs likes how he comes from the Nick Saban-Kirby Smart tree."

There are a few things that seem to favor the Tar Heels in this recruitment battle. For starters, you probably know who his brother is, as Josh Downs has made quite a name for himself in Chapel Hill. Based on Ivins’ post, it appears as if the younger Downs is making a strong connection with Dre Bly, a coach on the UNC football staff.

It also helps that Charlton Warren is now on staff at North Carolina as well, as he was helping recruit the five-star safety to Georgia when he was working under Kirby Smart. Based on what we know so far, the Tar Heels may end up being heavy contenders to land a commitment from Downs when it’s all said and done.

This will definitely be an interesting recruiting process to follow, as Downs is among one of the best overall players in the Class of 2023. It would be a huge addition for Mack Brown and his coaching staff to bring in, as he has the ability to make an impact on the team’s secondary from the minute he would arrive on campus.

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