The next generation of Tar Heels signed their National Letters of Intent as part of National Signing Day Wednesday morning. Twenty high school football prospects finalized their commitments to come to UNC this coming spring and fall. Carolina’s class is ranked No. 26 in the country by 247 Sports, which is fourth-highest in the ACC (not counting Notre Dame).
“Signing Day is a fun day for all college football coaches,” head coach Mack Brown said, “because it gives new opportunities for a lot of young guys. This is a dream for them. Today is the day they’ve been working for their whole life.”
Brown added, “We had absolutely no drama. The 20 that we thought were gonna sign, signed.”
Here’s a look at some of the most notable prospects to sign with Brown and the Tar Heels:
WR Chris Culliver (Maiden, N.C.)
Image via 247 Sports
The highest-rated recruit in the 2023 class, Culliver is ranked as the No. 8 player in the state of North Carolina by 247 Sports. He is the highest-ranked player in the state to stay in-state. He committed to Carolina over offers from schools such as Michigan, Ohio State and Florida State.
“He can jump, he’s got body control, he’s got hands, he’s got tremendous speed,” Brown said of Culliver. “We thought his senior year, he probably improved as much as anybody we’ve seen. Whole bunch of touchdown catches.”
DE Jaybron Harvey (Mebane, N.C.)
Image via Inside Carolina/Don Callahan
Like Culliver, Harvey is rated as a top 10 recruit within the state of North Carolina. As a junior at Southern Durham High School, Harvey recorded 28 sacks. He originally committed to Carolina this summer over offers from schools such as Oklahoma, Louisville and South Carolina.
“We haven’t played as well on defense,” Brown said. “We’ve got to keep recruiting great players… he’s another one that gets from here to there real fast. Great quickness, body control, hard to block.”
Harvey is one of 10 recruits who will enroll early, meaning he will arrive on campus just a week after UNC’s Holiday Bowl game with Oregon.
DE Tyler Thompson (Cary, N.C.)
Image via Inside Carolina
Another local product, Thompson comes to UNC by way of Panther Creek High School in Cary, where he led the Catamounts to a conference championship in 2022. He is rated as the No. 11 prospect in the state of North Carolina and No. 256 nationally. He committed to Carolina over offers from several notable schools, including Michigan.
“He’s all over the place,” Brown said of Thompson. “Very quick. Got length at 6-5. Got enough athletic ability to tackle and steal the ball… we’ve just got to continue to upgrade our speed on defense.”
Thompson will enroll early.
WR Christian Hamilton (Harrisburg, N.C.)
Image via Inside Carolina/Don Callahan
A four-star recruit from Hickory Ridge High School, Hamilton will provide more depth for a UNC wide receiver room which will be without Josh Downs and Antoine Green in 2023. He was one of several recruits to commit to the Tar Heels during the summer, and did so over offers from schools such as Texas A&M and Notre Dame.
Brown said Hamilton can play “all three places” as a receiver.
“He’s fast, he’s smart. Got great hands,” Brown said. “Can make people miss in space, and got the speed to outrun them.”
Hamilton will enroll early.
QB Tad Hudson (Huntersville, N.C.)
Image via Inside Carolina
Hudson is the only quarterback in the class to commit to Carolina, and will arrive in Chapel Hill by way of Hough High School in the Charlotte area. He set school records in passing yards and touchdowns.
“Tad’s got a great arm,” Brown said. “He’s very accurate.” The Hall of Famer added Hudson can make throws “guys his age don’t normally make.”
In a humorous aside, Brown also noted Hudson’s sister is currently dating star UNC quarterback Drake Maye. “We had Drake as a good recruiter there,” Brown said.
Hudson also had scholarship offers from Arkansas and Auburn. He will enroll early.
RB Jordan Louie (Tuscaloosa, AL)
Image via On3/Jeremy Johnson
Louie is the latest addition to Carolina’s class, making his commitment on Wednesday morning. In high school, Louie averaged 10.8 yards per carry. 247 Sports rates Louie as a three-star prospect.
“We weren’t even gonna take a running back,” Brown said. “[But] as we kept watching Jordan, and he was very, very interested in us, we felt like that he was a guy we couldn’t turn down.”
Louie was originally committed to West Virginia, but decommitted from the Mountaineers in November before taking an official visit to Chapel Hill earlier in December.
TE Julien Randolph (Purcellville, VA)
Image via 247 Sports
Randolph is the only tight end in the class to commit to Carolina. Standing at 6-5, Randolph will provide a large target in the passing game. In fact, Brown compared him to UNC star tight end Bryson Nesbit.
“He’s so tall, and he can catch the ball,” Brown said. “Out of all the tight ends we looked at, Coach [John] Lilly thought he was the best.”
Randolph originally committed to Vanderbilt, but decommitted in May. Carolina made him a scholarship offer two days later, and he committed to the Tar Heels in June.
DB Kaleb Cost (Tyrone, GA)
Image via Inside Carolina/Jim Hawkins
Cost is a three-star cornerback who ranks as the No. 100 cornerback in the country, according to 247 Sports. But what makes Cost notable is his particularly busy athletic calendar: he will play not just football at UNC, but baseball as well. Cost already has plans in place to play for the Diamond Heels in the spring and retain eligibility for the Major League Baseball draft.
Brown described Cost as a “ball-hawk” who can play in all five defensive back positions.
Because Cost will be playing high school baseball this spring, he will not enroll early at Carolina.
UNC Football Class of 2023
DB Ty Adams, WR Paul Billups*, LB Amare Campbell*, DB Kaleb Cost, WR Chris Culliver, DB Ayden Duncanson, OL D.J. Geth*, OL R.J. Grigsby*, WR Christian Hamilton*, DE Jaybron Harvey*, QB Tad Hudson*, LB Caleb LaVallee, DL Rodney Lora, RB Jordan Louie, OL Nolan McConnell*, DB Tre Miller, TE Julien Randolph, LB Michael Short*, DL Joel Starlings, DE Tyler Thompson*
* – indicates early enrollee
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