Mack Brown continues to make family the linchpin to success.
Carolina football is on its way to having a third-straight nationally ranked recruiting class, which follows the arrival of Sam Howell, perhaps the most important player Brown has ever signed to play for the Tar Heels.
And he’s done it with a tried-and-true formula that turned the joke of having back-to-back 1-10 seasons into a top ten program before he departed for Texas. That is, secure the borders of the state and complement that with great signees from other states.
While N.C. State is upping its recruiting game and including transfers, Brown has signed five of his first seven new recruits from out of state. The Wolfpack’s goal is to take back North Carolina in recruiting, but Brown’s family formula has now worked for two generations of recruits. His line that it’s not a 4-year decision, but a 40-year decision really resonates.
He flipped Howell from a commitment to Florida State by selling him on his family and friends being able to see him play more often in person. And, even with the advent of all games now on TV, that strategy is still his most effective tool.
The 5-star target of his 2022 recruiting class is Travis Shaw, a 6-5, 310-pound defensive tackle from Greensboro, the No. 1 player in the state who reportedly has Carolina, Georgia and Clemson as his top three choices. The fact that Shaw also lists hometown N.C. A&T tells you a lot about this giant young man.
Shaw has made unofficial and official visits to Chapel Hill, and playing closer to home is going to be the key to his decision. When all else is even – and Brown has pulled his staff and the Carolina experience up right next to Clemson and Georgia – having Shaw’s family become part of the UNC family will do it.
That five Tar Heels were NFL draft choices this year means that Carolina is as good as any program getting players to the next level. And because Brown has shown it to be a 40-year decision for dozens of former players, he’s proven that Family Matters is more than just a sales slogan.
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