UNC Football program earns commitment from JUCO transfer Charleston French

Inching closer to the 2024 season, the depth at the running back position was still a major question mark for the UNC football program.

Sure, it's nice to have star Omarion Hampton back, but the rest of the depth chart is something that certainly isn't settled.

On Sunday, Mack Brown and the Tar Heels added to their running back room, as JUCO transfer Charleston French committed to the UNC football program.

French's recruitment moved rather quickly, as the UNC football program made contact with him at the beginning of June. He attended a camp in Chapel Hill, which led to the program scheduling an official visit with the 5-foot-9, 205-pound running back.

That visit occurred this past weekend and resulted in North Carolina extending an offer his way. French wasted no time accepting the offer, as he officially stamped himself as a Tar Heel before the trip concluded.

French put together a strong freshman season at Itawamba Community College, running for 924 yards and scoring eight touchdowns. Although he wasn't heavily recruited in high school, French was a dominant force, scoring a staggering 28 touchdowns during his senior season at Amory High School in Mississippi.

Not only does French provide some depth for this season, but he's a future piece that the UNC football program can look to develop. He comes to Chapel Hill with three seasons of eligibility remaining, and also has a red-shirt season in his favor as well.

Of course, the UNC football program will enjoy Omarion Hampton as long as he stays on campus, but in all likelihood he'll depart for the NFL following his junior season. It certainly doesn't hurt to bring in another player to compete for reps at the running back spot, as French is one of those additions that is a low-risk, high reward type of deal.