Wednesday was the opening of the regular signing period around college football as the majority of the rest of the uncommitted prospects nationally signed Letters of Intent with the schools they will be attending. In one of the crazier signing days in recent years, the Tar Heels signed Here is a breakdown of the class that the program brought in on Wednesday and an update on what happened with the other three members of the class.
Class Rankings
247Sports- Overall: No. 43 | ACC: No. 10
Rivals- Overall: No. 46 | ACC: No. 10
ESPN- Overall: No. 45 | ACC: No. 11
On3- Overall: No. 55 | ACC: No. 12
Signed
4✮ QB Bryce Baker- East Forsyth (Kernersville, NC)
247Sports: No. 155 overall, No. 12 QB
Rivals: No. 79 overall, No. 8 QB
ESPN: No. 200 overall, No. 5 QB-DT
Composite: No. 86 overall, No. 8 QB
There was so much to like about what we saw Baker. At 6’2.5, 195 lbs., Baker has a good frame and his delivery is compact, allowing him to release the ball quickly. The arm strength is there and the accuracy is tremendous, especially on the throws to the sideline on deep passes. He does a good job of processing things, getting through his reads efficiently and effectively, allowing him to complete all but one of his passes. He moves extremely well in and out of the pocket and looked good throwing on the move and when off platform. When he does take off and run he’s effective, showing good speed and vision that allows him to pick up significant yards when needed. He lives up to his top 100 ranking and he looks like he has the making of the next great quarterback in Chapel Hill.
4✮ DL Austin Alexander- Cooper (Cooper, KY)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 66 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. 30 WDE
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 34 DE
Composite: No. 474 overall, No. 51 DL
Alexander gives the Tar Heels a guy in this class that can simply get after the quarterback. He has a very solid release off the line of scrimmage and does an outstanding job of shedding blocks to make plays in the backfield. His use of technical pass rush moves is the big reason why he’s able to live in the backfield and his athleticism goes a long way towards him being able to chase down quarterbacks and running backs to create negative plays. He has very solid size already at 6’3, 243 lbs., but he will have to add more physicality to his game if he wants to make a significant impact in his first season, but with his ability to shed blockers, he should get a chance to be a part of the rotation within his first couple years on campus.
4✮ EDGE Chinedu Onyeagoro- King/Drew Magnet (Los Angeles, CA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 35 EDGE
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. 35 WDE
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 77 DE
Composite: No. 568 overall, No. 42 EDGE
Onyeagoro might be a bit small at 6’2, 220 lbs. but has a ton of upside and versatility. He is utilized as both an edge rusher and off-ball linebacker, which means he can move around to find the best position for him. When he does line up on the edge, though, there is a lot to like about him as a speed rusher. He has tremendous burst off the line of scrimmage which makes him a problem for many tackles. He has the speed needed to chase plays down from behind and he does a great job of wrapping up and making a strong tackle on whoever the ball carrier is more times than not. He has the ability to win with technical pass rush moves and does a good job of shedding blocks overall when he doesn’t win right off the line of scrimmage. His ability to drop into coverage and look pretty fluid in the hips for a guy that plays on the edge will be very attractive to defensive play callers who like to get creative. The biggest area he’ll need to prove himself in at the college level will be the physicality aspect at the point of attack simply because he didn’t have to win that way at the high school level. There could also be a decent learning with the jump from one of the lower divisions in California, albeit still a decent level of competition. Regardless, this is a very nice addition for this staff and gives the Tar Heels another promising young edge rusher who could be the future of this room sooner rather than later.
3✮ QB Au’Tori Newkirk- Maury (Norfolk, VA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 22 QB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA QB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 27 QB-PP
Composite: No. 773 overall, No. 49 QB
Newkirk seems to be a hidden gem that the team has found to add to this room. Size was once a concern with him, but after a growth spurt that has him at 6’3, 200 lbs., those concerns should be gone. He has impressive arm strength that allows him to make deep throws with ease, even when he has to leave his feet while under pressure. The accuracy is there at all three levels and a lot of that happens because of the strong footwork that he has. He can make plenty of plays off-platform and thrive in situations where the team decides to roll him out. His release is the biggest concern about him after he had to adjust it because of an “elongated motion” that caused him to get the ball out slower according to 247Sports reporter Hudson Standish. As a ball carrier, he isn’t going to wow anyone with his speed but he can make plays in the open field and has the production that shows it can be a part of his game at the college level. The Class 5 classification might not be the top in the state of Virginia, but it is still a pretty good level of competition to judge him on and have him prepared for this level. He may not be fellow classmate Bryce Baker, but there is a lot to like about Newkirk’s upside. This is a worthwhile risk for a Tar Heel team that clearly didn’t see anything else in the portal after landing Ryan Browne earlier in the window.
3✮ S Javion Butts- Jones County (Gray, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 60 S
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA S
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 64 S
Composite: No. 810 overall, No. 68 S
The Tar Heels fought off Missouri to make sure they could hold on to a guy that might be the future of the safety room. Butts is very similar to a lot of the guys that the Tar Heels have added to their secondary in the last couple of recruiting cycles because of the versatility he provides. He can make plays on the outside as a corner, in the slot as a nickel and in deep coverage as a safety, meaning that the possibilities are endless for him when he gets to campus. He has tremendous speed that allows him to stick with receivers if he’s in 1-on-1 coverage and make plays on the football when he’s in space. He is a very solid tackler that can lay the lumber with how well he breaks on the ball, but he is not the most involved safety in the run game. Butts is a guy that, like the true freshman defensive backs that were on the Tar Heels’ roster this past couple of years, will need some time to develop once he gets on campus, but he has some nice upside and versatility that will eventually give him the opportunity to compete for snaps within the first couple of years on campus.
3✮ IOL Byron Nelson- Katy (Katy, TX)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 46 IOL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA OL
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 39 OG
Composite: No. 886 overall, No. 63 IOL
Nelson never seemed to be in doubt and confirmed last night that he was prepared to stick with his commitment. Nelson may not be ranked as highly as some of the current offensive linemen were coming out of high school, but there are some promising elements of his game that show up on his film. He may play tackle at the high school, but the way that he simply mauls guys in the running game and his limited lateral movement, he definitely is a fit on the inside. He plays with a mean streak that is needed to play on the interior and that physicality results in a lot of pancake blocks or complete wash outs of defensive linemen or linebackers in his gap. Pass protection will be the question mark with him going up against bigger and much more physical interior offensive linemen, but there is potential there, especially with how good his hand placement is. There is also some nice versatility there for him, as he’s played both left and right tackle at the high school level, meaning he won't be out of sorts if they have to play him at either guard spot. It may take some time for him to adjust to the college level and be ready to pass protect, but don’t let the rating fool you into thinking he doesn’t have the potential to be a contributor along the offensive line at some point in his career.
3✮ LB Tyler Houser- Pope John XXII (Sparta, NJ)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 78 LB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA OLB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 34 ILB
Composite: No. 886 overall, No. 96 LB
Houser is another guy who brings that physical edge that the team is wanting to add to this Bill Belichick-led roster. His film is littered with hard hits and high motor plays that Tar Heel fans will love. He does a great job of reading the offense and reacting, rarely guessing and getting out of position. He has good speed and burst for a linebacker which allows him create pressure on the quarterbacks and run plays down from behind which he is not afraid to do. It also allows him to cover sideline to sideline which the team has always valued heavily. In coverage, he isn’t the most fluid linebacker you’ll see, but he does make plays on the football and will make receivers pay if they catch the ball in the middle of the field. If he can continue to improve in that area and show that he can consistently get off of blocks, it appears the Tar Heels have found a steal here in this 2025 class.
3✮ DL Devin Ancrum- Mill Creek (Hoschton, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 83 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 58 DT
Composite: No. 913 overall, No. 102 DL
Ancrum was another guy who never seemed interested in going anywhere else after it was announced Mack Brown was being fired. He might not be the most complete defensive linemen that the team has brought in, but there is plenty of promise here. At 6’2.5, 295 lbs, there is no question he has the size to play on the interior defensive line at this level. The most notable thing about his play is how effective he is at getting off blocks. This is something that Tar Heel defensive linemen simply have been consistent enough with over the past few years and hopefully that is something Ancrum can bring to the table. The main reason he’s had so much success is because of a great release off the line of scrimmage that puts him in an advantageous position to make plays in the opposing backfield. This season as a senior, he used a lot more technical pass rushing moves to shed those blocks, but his junior tape shows that he can bring the physicality as well. The staff will have to make sure that he uses that physicality more consistently, though, because it won’t be as easy to win with technicality on the inside at the college level. It could take him a little bit of time and some work in the weight room, but there is potential here if he can be developed right.
3✮ WR Evan Haynes- Fellowship Christian School (Roswell, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 202 WR
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA WR
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 125 WR
Composite: No. 954 overall, No. 140 WR
Haynes was a guy that was brought up as a possible flip for Georgia Tech, but the Tar Heels did enough to hold onto him in the end. Haynes is a guy who will have some things to work on when he gets to Chapel Hill, but he has plenty of upside. He may not have the most complete route tree, but the way that he is able to win downfield and consistently create big plays is something that gives him the opportunity to make an impact at the next level. He also does a good job of tracking the football and coming away with contested grabs, things that will also help him see playing time if it translates to the college level. He will have to work on expanding his route tree a bit and the jump from the 2A classification in the state of Georgia will be steep, but there is still plenty to like about Haynes’ future with the program and reason to believe he can factor in on special teams while making those adjustments.
3✮ IOL Trey Blue- Cary (Cary, NC)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 56 IOL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA OL
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 79 OG
Composite: No. 1003 overall, No. 72 IOL
Blue was another guy who never strayed from his commitment. Watching Blue’s film, there is a lot to like about what he brings to the table. He has a college frame already at 6’5, 310 lbs. and is starting to show more of a mean streak this season after not showing it a lot as a sophomore. The footwork and lateral movement is impressive, especially for someone of his size, at the high school level and his athleticism is shown when he is the lead or pull blocker. His hand placement is what really has led to his success and is why he was so dominant as a pass protector on his sophomore film. Blue might not be the most polished offensive lineman in this class and we need to see more of the mean streak if he is going to thrive as an interior offensive lineman at the college level, but there is a lot of upside that he brings to this class.
3✮ RB Demon June Jr.- Jacksonville (Jacksonville, NC)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 84 RB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. 41 RB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 108 RB
Composite: No. 1018 overall, No. 76 RB
June visited Florida State this past weekend following the firing of Brown and was expected to wait to sign, but chose to go ahead and sign later in the evening. June is the type of tough-nosed runner that this staff likes to have in the backfield. He is very much a downhill A and B-Gap kind of runner and he embraces, and at times appears to seek out, contact. When he does run it on the edges, he is patient and does a good job of hitting his holes. His speed isn’t that of some of the other downhill backs that the team has added since Brown’s return, but it isn’t like he doesn’t have a little burst to him when he hits the hole. The biggest concerns with June are his limitations as a pass catcher and the level of competition playing in the eastern part of the state. This is still a guy that could end up surprising later in his Tar Heel career if he sticks around.
3✮ ATH Kenedy Uzoma- St. John’s Catholic (Buckeystown, MD)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 58 ATH
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA WDE
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 63 OLB
Composite: No. 1018 overall, No. 60 ATH
Uzoma is a unique receiver that has some tremendous upside. He did a good job of winning deep at the high school level with his long strides and good speed. His ability to climb the ladder at 6’5 and make 50/50 catches is special, as is his ability to pull down the one handed-catch. He made some nice plays after the catch and should have more opportunities to show that off at this level. His route tree is rather limited, so he’ll have to work on expanding this at the college level. He will also have to learn how to deal with physicality off the line of scrimmage, something he didn’t do much at the high school level. Still, there is a lot of potential here and he could have an impact in this room in a few years.
3✮ LB Jake Bauer- Malvern Prep (Malvern, PA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 148 LB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA OLB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 41 ILB
Composite: No. 1051 overall, No. 117 LB
Bauer is another physical piece that the team has added in the middle of the unit. His speed is outstanding for a linebacker and allows him to cover sideline-to-sideline. The acceleration is what leads to him laying hard hits on the opposing ball carrier, which happens often on film. What allows him to stick out from other linebackers is his coverage ability which is the best out of the three linebackers that the team has added in this class and might be one of the best of anyone in this cycle. His ability to shift his weight and change directions is strong and allows him to shift from covering a receiver to chasing down a ball carrier very smoothly. There is a lot to like about his game, but the question might be how much upside he actually has. The good news is, he already has the feel of a guy who can be a pretty solid linebacker and it would not shock me if he is a guy that makes an impact early in his career.
3✮ RB Joseph Troupe- Berkeley Prep (Tampa, FL)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 98 RB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA RB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 110 RB
Composite: No. 1392 overall, No. 108 RB
Troupe is another promising young back that can provide some explosive plays out of the backfield. At 5’9, 202 lbs., he is built stout, but he has the speed and acceleration to create home run plays. He doesn’t mess around when it comes to getting downhill because how decisive he is and his ability to put his foot in the ground and change direction makes it difficult for defenders to get their hands on him consistently. If they do get their hands on him, he does have the power to run through some tacklers, just not as many as some of the backs that the Tar Heels have had in recent memory. He doesn’t catch the ball a ton, but when he does, he looks natural and has the ability to turn those into big plays. The biggest question for him will be can he prove himself as a pass protector because he comes from a system that rarely had him do it. There will also be a steeper learning curve for him than others in this class because he comes from the 2A level of high school football in the state of Florida. It might take him some time, but with his explosiveness, he could be the explosive complement to one of the other backs the team brought in during this cycle.
3✮ DL Nico Maggio- Buford (Buford, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 179 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 34 DT
Composite: No. 1538 overall, No. 166 DL
Maggio gives the Tar Heels some much-needed depth at the defensive tackle spot and brings some power with him. While he may be a bit undersized at 6’2, 280 lbs. to play immediately, he still boasts a solid frame that Moses Cabrera and his staff should be able to add to when he arrives this summer. Strength and physicality are not a concern at all for him as he constantly shows on film battling on the interior. His ability to shed blocks and make plays in the backfield is impressive and is set up by a nice first step off the line of scrimmage. The motor is there consistently and he is a very smart and instinctual player that always seems to be where he needs to be. The level of competition is as good as it could be at the high school level and should mean a limited learning curve. His biggest limitation is that he does not have the ability to cover two gaps consistently, but that may not be demanded of him at this level depending on the system that Stephen Belichick wants to run. This is a guy that is very solid in just about everything that he does, but doesn’t blow you away with anything either. That means that he can likely be a steady rotational piece for the team at defensive tackle.
3✮ RB Jariel Cobb- Reidsville (Reidsville, NC)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 91 RB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA RB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 83 RB
Composite: No. 1556 overall, No. 121 RB
Cobb’s film shows a running back with good instincts that has some upside but a lot of questions as well. The thing that you have to like the most is just how decisive of a runner he is. He has strong ball carrier vision and it doesn’t take him long to find the hole that he wants to hit and hit it. He has solid speed in the open field that allows him to pull away from defenders at his level of high school football but may prevent him from being able to hit a lot of home run plays at the college level. While he doesn’t need to run with physicality often because of the running lanes that his offensive line provides, he utilizes it when needed and it translates for him when he has to pass protect. The ability to catch the ball out of the backfield is there, but it’s probably not something that dominates his game at the college level. There is a bit of a stiffness to his running style and while his cuts are effective now, they will have to be more precise and sudden to work in college. The biggest concern across the board is the learning curve that he will have coming from the 2A level of high school football in the state of North Carolina. There is potential here, though, and the Tar Heel program has had a knack for finding hidden gems like this at the running back spot.
3✮ DL Terry Nwabuisi-Ezeala- Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Rabun Gap, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 173 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 65 DT
Composite: No. 1562 overall, No. 170 DL
Nwabuisi-Ezeala is someone that the Tar Heels are hoping can be that big gap filler in the middle of their defense. At 6’2, 320 lbs., he certainly has the size to fill that role and his ability to shed blocks should allow him to make plays in the backfield. He does show his physicality at times, but he will have to utilize it more in college if he wants to consistently win. He is very limited as a pass rusher, especially for someone who moves well for his size, meaning that his role could be limited throughout his time in college. This is a guy that is a low risk, high reward addition that you’re hoping develops under Belichick’s staff, but it will probably take some time.
3✮ LB Lantz Pascal- St. Thomas Aquinas (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 180 EDGE
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA OLB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 88 ILB
Composite: No. 1858 overall, No. 143 LB
Pascal is a versatile piece that this staff will love to have when he arrives on campus. As an edge rusher, Pascal does a good job of shedding blocks to make plays in the backfield and his active hands were the cause of a lot of fumbles. When he stands up as an off-ball linebacker, his speed stands out and it allows him to cover sideline-to-sideline. His time on the line translates well when it comes to him getting off blocks to make tackles in the run game. In coverage, he actually looks pretty natural and can make some plays on the ball from time to time. Off-ball linebacker is the best fit for him and while he might be least impressive of the linebackers in this class, there is still some upside here that is intriguing.
3✮ WR Shanard Clower- Lakeland (Lakeland, FL)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 263 WR
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA WR
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 50 ATH
Composite: No. 2168 overall, No. 285 WR
Clower is one of the most explosive players in the class and it honestly makes zero sense how he is not ranked. His speed and burst is top end and allows him to easily pull away from defenders when he gets into the open field. Combine that speed with the ability to stop and start on the dime and change direction in the blink of an eye makes him a nightmare in the open field. As a receiver, he is a strong route runner and can consistently win deep, something that this team wants to find more of after not having a consistent explosive receiver all season long. He has good hands and can adjust to the football well, albeit you didn’t have to see it a lot at this level. Defensively, there is not much to go off of and he is too explosive to be playing on that side of the ball. This might be my favorite under-the-radar pickup for the Tar Heels in this cycle.
3✮ ATH Madrid Tucker- Fort Myers (Fort Myers, FL)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 153 ATH
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA CB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 48 ATH
Composite: No. 2168 overall, No. 153 ATH
Tucker is another dynamic athlete that can be used in a multitude of different ways on the offensive side of the football. His ability to track the football jumps off the screen in the first two clips that we see on his highlight tape, as does his speed, which allows him to make plays down the field. His hands are incredibly reliable and his catch radius, especially for someone his size (5’11, 165 lbs.), is pretty big. His ability to simply pull away from defenders with his speed once he gets the football is what makes him so exciting as a prospect. The route tree might be a little limited at the high school level, especially for someone who is going to be playing in the slot, but the good news is when he runs the more complex routes on film, he is able to free himself up thanks to how hard he runs them. The other thing that you love to see is that his success came against 5A level competition in the state of Florida, which is the third-highest classification in the state but contains schools like St. Thomas Aquinas, Lakeland and others. This is a very nice addition in the slot who could be a weapon that gets utilized for the team offensively in the next couple of years. Until that point, he should be battling for a role on special teams.
3✮ K Guytano Bartolomeo- Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 22 K
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA K
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 25 K
Composite: No. 2396 overall, No. 12 K
Bartolomeo has a pretty powerful leg despite only having a career long field goal of 41 and his kicking motion looks fluid. Consistency is going to be the most important thing for him both as a placekicker and as a kickoff specialist.
3✮ DL Trey Giddens- Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 205 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DL
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 140 DT
Composite: No. 2469 overall, No. 248 DL
At 6’3, 275 lbs., Giddens has a nice frame that the team will hope to add to when he gets to campus. The thing that jumps off the screen when you throw on Giddens tape is his quick release and burst off the line of scrimmage, which makes him an issue for slower reacting guards. In general, he does a good job of shedding blocks and uses a combination of bull rush and technical moves to be able to do it. Just like a lot of the team’s recent commits, he has a high motor that allows him to be involved in plays down the field that most interior defensive linemen would be. The most important area of improvement for him is going to be adding more of that physical edge to his game and strength in the weight room to help him navigate what is always a steep learning curve for trench players. This is another quality upside pickup to add to an interior defensive line room that is in need of depth.
UR RB Jaylon Nichols- Neville (Neville, LA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 181 RB
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA RB
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 130 RB
Composite: No. NA overall, No. NA RB
Nichols is another electric addition to this Tar Heel offense. He has great open field speed and burst, but his strength is how well he evades tacklers. His ability to stick his foot in the ground and change direction and his use of the spin move makes him incredibly difficult to take down in the opening field. He also runs with a nice mean streak that allows him to break tackles like we have seen recent Tar Heel running backs do. The biggest question marks will be how he progresses as a pass catcher and what he brings to the table as a pass protector. All things considered, this is a nice upside pickup that provides more depth in the running back room.
UR EDGE Emmanuel Nwaiwu- Vanier College (Montreal, QC)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 152 EDGE
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA SDE
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. NA DE
Composite: No. NA overall, No. NA EDGE
Nwaiwu is another defensive line addition that has some solid upside, but will not be a highly-ranked prospect. It doesn’t feel like Nwaiwu does anything better than the other, but he is a really solid all-around player. At 6’4, 250 lbs., he has some nice length which he uses to his advantage and he has really solid speed off the edge. He does a good job of using the technical pass rush moves to shed blocks, something that he does at a pretty high rate as well when you combine everything. He will need to become more physical to play at this level or the become faster to be able to beat tackles consistently off the edge. He will also need to prove that he has the ability to set an edge consistently in the run, something that he did a decent job of in the limited run defense reps that we saw on his tape. This is a guy who won’t have as steep of a learning curve as the high school guys in this class, but he won’t have the upside either, meaning that his ceiling is likely a rotational edge rusher.
UR Yasir Smith- Summerville (Summerville, SC)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 204 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA SDE
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
Composite: No. NA overall, No. NA DL
Smith is another developmental defensive lineman that this staff will have to make a decision on. At 6’5, 265 lbs., his body style would suggest that the best fit for him is at edge rusher, but his film shows he might fit better at defensive tackle, meaning he will have to put on some weight and strength when he arrives on campus. Like a lot of the other commitments the team has recently picked up, he has a high motor and plays with a nice level of physicality. He does a tremendous job of getting his hands up to bat passes down, something that you don’t see from every pass rusher at the high school level. He has decent speed, but not enough to win with it consistently on the edge. The same can be said about his technical pass rush moves, which aren’t shown a lot on film and aren’t as effective as they would need to be. The plan for Smith should be to add weight to his frame and kick him inside to defensive tackle where he could eventually become part of the rotation down the line.
UR DL Kamarion Thomas- Erasmus Hall (Brooklyn, NY)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. 194 DL
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. 144 DT
Composite: No. NA overall, No. NA DL
Thomas, whose first offer came from the Tar Heels, is probably the player that will need to be developed the most in this class. There are certainly some things to like about his game, especially the violence that he tackles with and the motor that he consistently plays with. He also does a good job of getting off blocks, but a large part of that is the fact that he is playing against a low level of competition. There is much technicality to his shedding of blocks and his size and strength may not allow him to get off of blocks nearly as easily at the college level. At 6’3, 265 lbs., he will need to add a lot of size to play in the middle or make the full transition to edge rusher where he will have to work on those technical pass rush moves and his ability to set the edge in the run game. There is a lot of work to do here, but clearly the staff likes the potential that they see.
UR DL Laderion Williams- Douglas County (Douglasville, GA)
247Sports: No. NA overall, No. NA OT
Rivals: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
ESPN: No. NA overall, No. NA DT
Composite: No. NA overall, No. NA OT
Williams's film won’t blow you away, but he is a very solid fit in the middle of the defense from a run-stopping perspective. At 6’4, 311 lbs., the size is there, as is the physicality, which he handles pretty well. He doesn’t always find ways to completely shed blocks, but he does find a way to latch on to the ball carrier and make the play, especially in those A and B gaps. His motor can’t be questioned, even though he doesn’t move nearly as smoothly as some of the other defensive tackles in this class. He doesn’t provide a lot as a pass rusher, but this team could use a run-stopping defensive tackle in the middle of the defense, so it shouldn’t be frowned upon. He feels like the type of guy who, if he gets the right coaching, could be a nice rotational piece for the team in a couple of years.