Ask Farrell: Which ACC teams have impressed during shutdown?
The recruiting world has changed in the age of the coronavirus pandemic, but it certainly has not stopped. If anything, it’s been more active in different ways.
Offers are still going out at a serious pace. Coaches have had to figure out creative ways to stay involved with top prospects while not being able to see them in their high school settings or not being able to host them on their college campuses.
Zoom and FaceTime have become not just an additional aspect of recruiting a player, those video chat services have become the essential way to communicate. Some coaches are playing video games with top prospects. Virtual tours where players can see a specific campus or specific facilities at a university are being utilized by coaching staffs.
Text messages, phone calls and all the traditional ways of recruiting are still existent but recruiting through a global pandemic can be challenging for both sides.
Through this, though, some programs are excelling.
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CLASS OF 2021 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Position | Team | State
CLASS OF 2022: Top 100
As it stands now, Clemson, North Carolina, Miami, Virginia Tech and Florida State have the top-five recruiting classes in the ACC.
An early start for the Tigers boosted their 2021 recruiting class as the national power has only landed one commit from four-star DB Jordan Hancock in the last few months as coronavirus shut down recruiting visits.
North Carolina has been exceptionally busy in March and early April with seven commitments, all from in-state prospects, including flipping four-star QB Drake Maye from Alabama and landing in-state four-star RB DeAndre Boykins.
Miami has just one commit in March as the Hurricanes loaded up early. Virginia Tech recently landed four-star WR Latrell Neville from Houston (Texas) Hightower and three-star DT Tyas Martin, the top prospect in the state of Arkansas.
Florida State is fifth in the ACC rankings but with only four commitments and none since February, it’s hard to gauge how the Seminoles are doing during this time.
We ask Rivals National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell to name one or two coaches in the ACC who have been most impressive recruiting during this challenging time and which coach might excel the most in this current recruiting climate?
FARRELL'S TAKE
The obvious answer is Dabo Swinney as his charm coupled with his success can’t be stopped without visits. However, a huge part of the Clemson lure is selling the family feeling on campus so he’s been very good despite the lack of visits.
The coach that really stands out to me is Mack Brown who is proving he’s one of the best recruiters in the game with the job he’s doing at North Carolina. Tommy Thigpen, an elite recruiter on Brown’s staff, has also been doing an amazing job.
It’s not about innovation as every coach now is relying on Zoom and FaceTime and others methods of communication. It’s about the message and these two guys are selling it far and away better than the rest.