Starting on May 18, Rivals.com Mid-Atlantic analyst Adam Friedman visited 43 schools in North Carolina to meet with coaches and prospects and watch practices. Check out the recruiting news from North Carolina’s top prospects, practice evaluations and a preview of the next generation of big-time recruits.
RECRUITING ROUNDUP
Virginia Tech is the newest offer for Kingsley. Florida State, Tennessee, Syracuse, North Carolina, Duke and N.C. State have already caught his eye. Alabama and Clemson have started to recruit Kingsley, who wants to visit Florida State, Tennessee and Syracuse.
Elliott recently added an offer from Kentucky. Tennessee still leads for Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy's newest transfer but East Carolina, South Carolina and N.C. State are very much in the mix. Elliott is hoping to land an offer from Oregon.
It seems like UCLA, N.C. State, Mississippi State, North Carolina and Duke are doing the best job with Gill. He wants to visit UCLA, Stanford, LSU and Mississippi State this summer. Gill expects to take all five official visits.
Lawrence is high on his offers from N.C. State, North Carolina, Alabama, Ohio State, Florida State and Clemson, where his brother Dexter Lawrence plays. A 2018 prospect, Lawrence will visit Clemson this summer and could also visit Tennessee. He is planning on being an early graduate.
Coaches from Duke and N.C. State have the best relationship with Butler. He has visits to South Carolina and Virginia Tech set for June and will get to Penn State and Maryland in July. Butler doesn't have a decision date set but will take official visits.
South Carolina is Person's most recent offer. He is planning on visiting Columbia again along with Georgia, Clemson and Wake Forest. N.C. State and Duke are still at the top of Person's list.
N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia Tech and North Carolina seem to be at the top of Greene's list. He plans on visiting Virginia Tech on June 18 and will also visit South Carolina some time in June. Greene will participate in one of Alabama's camps in mid-June. He expects to take official visits to N.C. State and North Carolina.
Hall has added offers from Oklahoma, Maryland and Pittsburgh. He plans to visit all three this summer and also wants to visit Stanford while on vacation in California. Hall thinks Northwestern, Rutgers and Michigan State could offer next because they are showing interest in him.
Virginia Tech, Tennessee, North Carolina, N.C. State and South Carolina are standing out to Moore. He is going to visit Alabama or Notre Dame on June 18 and is hoping to visit Florida State, UCLA and Oregon this offseason. Moore plans on taking official visits to Tennessee and Kansas State, his newest offer.
Dyami Brown
Offers from Missouri, Tennessee, Virginia Tech and North Carolina have caught Brown's eye. Virginia Tech was his dream school because he grew up in Virginia. Brown will visit Clemson on June 8 and North Carolina on June 18. He also wants to visit Notre Dame and Arizona.
Nasirildeen's top five is Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, South Carolina and Florida. The Concord, N.C. star is planning on camping at all five of those schools and Georgia. Nasirildeen said he is closest with coaches from Florida State, Florida, South Carolina and Alabama. Expect him to commit later in the process.
Michigan is the latest offer for Sandidge, a member of the 2018 Rivals100. He has offers from schools such as North Carolina, Florida State, Penn State, South Carolina and many others. Sandidge visited a lot of schools this spring but isn't really delving too far into yet.
Farley committed to Virginia Tech early in the process and that has attracted additional schools. South Carolina and N.C. State recently offered and he is receiving interest from Kentucky and Vanderbilt as well. At this point, Farley says Virginia Tech is his favorite offer but his dream schools as a kid were Florida and Alabama. He might camp at both of those schools.
Virginia Tech, North Carolina, and Wake Forest are doing the best job recruiting Hollifield so far. He plans on visiting Virginia Tech on June 1 and wants to visit Penn State. Hollifield will visit Georgia or Alabama on June 11 and will visit the other on June 14.
Foster has a top seven of Alabama, Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Kentucky, Stanford and Notre Dame. He will visit all seven this summer and then narrow his list to three. Stanford will likely make the cut. Foster wants to take official visits and will commit some time during the season.
PRACTICE STANDOUTS
Wake Forest, N.C. - Defensive lineman Xach Gill plays much better in practice than in a camp setting. Big-time 2018 running back Devon Lawrence did a good job getting to the edge on sweeps and catching out of the backfield. Linebacker Darius Hodge is extremely physical and will make one college very happy. Remember the names DeSean Jackson and Jaden McKenzie. Both are defensive linemen and will get offers in the near future.
Havelock, N.C. - The headliner is versatile 2018 offensive lineman Avery Jones, but wide receiver Quinzel Lockhart is also FBS player and is in line for more offers. Dozens of schools have shown interest in 2018 linebacker/defensive end Tyiyon Johnson. He has the look of a Power Five hybrid outside linebacker. Fans and coaches will start hearing more and more about 2018 lineman Will Spottsville, 2019 athlete Welton Spottsville and 2019 athlete Cameron Hutchinson.
Southern Pines (N.C.) Pinecrest - Jaylin Dickerson has drawn a lot of attention and holds some Power Five offers. He is a versatile player but will really excel as a safety in college. Defensive end Marquez Baster is almost fully cleared after recovering from ACL surgery. The 2018 prospect has good size (6-foot-3, 210-pounds) and will get a lot of attention from college coaches.
Charlotte (N.C.) Vance - There were a lot of playmakers flying around the field at Vance. Tight end Nate Jones should be a very successful flex tight end. Linebacker Gerald Nathan Jr. has a great build for a 2018 outside linebacker (6-foot-2, 210-pounds), moved very well in the open field and was very vocal. Freshmen defensive backs Davion Bush and Shamar Baker have a chance to be special.
Charlotte (N.C.) Mallard Creek - Mallard Creek has enough talent to field a second varsity squad. TJ Moore, Eric Douglas, Grant Gibson and Ryan Jones were the headliners at practice but Larry Matkins was all over the field. He’s one my favorite sleepers in the 2017 class. Defensive end Brian Lassiter has the look of an FBS prospect. Quarterback Chauncey Caldwell is learning the offense but is physically gifted. Wide receiver Knowledge Gainey and linemen CJ Johnson and Jordan Davis are headed for big junior campaigns and should pick up multiple offers. One of Mallard Creek’s big-time freshmen is defensive end Parker Moorer (6-foot-4, 235-pounds).
Concord, N.C. - Rivals250 athlete Hamsah Nasirlideen has NFL potential. He is being recruited as a safety and certainly has the athleticism to make an impact early in his career. Nasirildeen will need to be more fundamentally sound to remain a defensive back or he could be looking at a move to outside linebacker or wide receiver. Defensive lineman Rick Sandidge is a special player. Quiet off the field, the 2018 Rivals100 prospect is very vocal on the field and dominates nearly every play. His demeanor and frame (6-foot-5, 275-pounds) remains me of a young Rashan Gary.
Charlotte (N.C.) Hough - There are a ton of talented underclassmen at Hough. Clemson recently offered 2019 defensive back Tyus Fields. Freshmen Deangelo Smith and Kevon Hilliard are nearing their first offers as well. Aaron Williams and Damon Early, both 6-foot-2, 200-pound defensive end/outside linebackers in the 2018 class, look to have bright futures. Sophomore quarterback Jackson Gibbs has a strong arm and was pretty effective last season. He has physically matured and could become a sure-fire FBS prospect with a good junior campaign.
Shelby, N.C. - Linebacker Dax Hollfield is one of the top players in the 2018 class. He is about 6-foot-2 now and is a fantastic athlete. Hollifield’s offer sheet will expand exponentially this summer. Wide receiver Jayden Borders is super explosive and nearing some bigger offers. Freshman linebacker Jaylon Scott is in line to start this season and many expect him to be the next big recruit at Shelby after Hollifield graduates.
Shelby (N.C.) Crest - Rivals100 linebacker Justin Foster has college coaches flocking to Crest. He is down to about 250 pounds and is planning on playing this season at 240 pounds. Foster is an imposing presence on defense and will terrorize quarterbacks when blitzing off the edge. Wide receiver Tyshun Odom is explosive and has a good feel for soft spots in the defense.
Greensboro (N.C.) Page - Linebacker Alan Tisdale is continuing to fill out his frame. The sophomore was very productive last season and is headed for stardom if he keeps improving. Sophomore linebacker Alex Gray is coming off a torn ACL and is almost fully back in action. He had an impressive freshman season so hopefully he’ll pick up where he left off. Will Jones, a 2017 quarterback, has great size and a strong arm. He’ll have to be more consistent this season and perform better under pressure.
Greensboro (N.C.) Northwest Guilford - Thomas Hennigan is committed to Appalachian State as a wide receiver but he will likely play quarterback for Northwest Guilford this season out of necessity. He is a very smart and competitive player that will be careful with the football and should make a lot of plays with his feet. Sophomore wide receiver Tre Turner looks like one of the best in the nation. He is also a basketball player and it’s easy to see that on the field. He will have over 20 scholarship offers by the time the season starts. Freshman running back Cameron Cloud holds an offer from Wake Forest and was offered by the previous staff at Virginia. He should be a big-time recruit if he continues to improve and grow.
WHO'S NEXT?
2019 DE David Madzivanyika, Durham (N.C.) Hillside, 6-foot-3, 220 pounds
2018 OL Michael McGirt, Durham (N.C.) Hillside, 6-foot-2, 265 pounds
2018 DE Drew Tuazama, Knightdale, N.C., 6-foot-6, 220 pounds
2019 QB Garrett Shrader, Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds
2019 TE Ricky Kofoed, Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian, 6-foot-3, 200 pounds
2018 OL Luke Warner, Charlotte (N.C.) Charlotte Christian, 6-foot-3, 245 pounds
2019 QB Sam Howell, Monroe (N.C.) Sun Valley, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
2019 WR Traevon Kenion, Monroe, N.C., 6-foot-4, 190 pounds
2018 DT Elijah Brown, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day, 6-foot-4, 270 pounds
2019 LB Osita Ekwonu, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day, 6-foot-1, 205 pounds
2020 ATH Porter Rooks, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day, 6-foot-2, 180 pounds
2020 WR Moose Muhammad, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds
2020 DE Jacobe Cowan, Charlotte (N.C.) Providence Day, 6-foot-6, 240 pounds
2019 ATH Khafre Brown, Charlotte (N.C.) West Mecklenburg, 6-foot, 160 pounds
2019 OL DaMarcus Mills, Mooresville, N.C., 6-foot-7, 304 pounds
2019 DB Jeremiah Gray, Charlotte (N.C.) Independence, 6-foot-3, 180 pounds
2019 ATH Jourdan Helig, Concord, N.C., 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
2019 RB Demetrius Mauney, Forest City (N.C.) East Rutherford, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds
2019 ATH Quavaris Crouch, Charlotte (N.C.) Harding University, 6-foot-3, 210 pounds
2018 WR Nigel Fitzgerald, Greensboro (N.C.) Dudley, 6-foot-5, 200 pounds