Top lineman picks the ACC

One of the top linemen in the mid-Atlantic made a decision earlier today. Fork Union (N.C.) Fork Union Military Academy offensive center Russell Bodine has elected to head to the ACC.

"I actually went down on a visit to North Carolina today with my parents," he said. "My dad had been down before, but my mom had never been down there. They wanted to see things before I committed and we went through the whole tour and then had a meeting with Coach Pittman and Coach Butch Davis.

"I told them I was committed and they were pretty happy. Coach Pittman actually did a cartwheel. He told me he'd do one if I committed. It wasn't such a great cartwheel though."

Quite a few things played into Bodine picking the Tar Heels.

"Really, they had kind of been my favorite since the beginning, then other schools started coming in and I still looked at them," he said. "North Carolina was quietly my favorite. They have a great balance of everything; a great football team and they are obviously on the rise and academically it's a good school too.

"They also have a great coaching staff. I was very impressed with Coach Davis the whole time. They showed a commitment to me by being the first offer and I developed a good relationship with Coach Pittman and Coach Williams. I felt comfortable there."

How important for North Carolina was it to be the first offer in?

"It was a factor the longer it went on," he said. "Was a it a huge deal or a decision-making factor? It wasn't, but it was a factor."

Overall Bodine and his parents are happy with his choice.

"I went into the visit with them obviously being my favorite and I liked everything about it," he said. "My parents are pretty excited too. They kind of are hiding it a bit though."

As for his position, Bodine will play center for the Tar Heels.

"They are recruiting me as a center," he said. "They lose two centers this year, both are seniors. They have a sophomore or a freshman as the backup and they wanted someone to compete to play early. I know I can't come in and get it, I've got to earn it."

Bodine is rated the No. 6 offensive center in the country.

He held numerous other offers from Boston College, California, Duke, Rutgers, Stanford, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Wake Forest and more.