If there was one location in the United States to be yesterday, it was Chapel Hill, NC. The best rivalry in all of American sports added another historic chapter to the record books as Carolina and Duke met for the 12th time with both teams ranked inside the top five in the AP polls. Carolina would complete the regular season sweep of the Blue Devils with a 79-70 win in front a large crowd of both football and basketball recruits. Mack Brown said that he would use the basketball program as a way to help the Heels recruit on the gridiron and Sunday morning might prove that his strategy is paying off.
2020 3✮ CB Lamareon James announced his commitment to the Heels early on Sunday morning following his visit to Chapel Hill on Saturday. James, who is heading into his senior year at Indian River High School in Chesapeake, VA, has been one of the Heels top targets in the state of Virginia since he was offered by Larry Fedora and his staff back in June. The 5’10, 170 lbs. James, who transferred prior to his junior season, finished his first year at the budding Virginia powerhouse with 578 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, while hauling in three interceptions on the defensive side. Prior to his transfer, James was a successful two-way player at Norfolk Christian High School, where he finished his sophomore season with 1,560 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns, as well as 21 total tackles and one pass deflection.
2020 3✮ CB Lamareon James announced his commitment to the Heels early on Sunday morning following his visit to Chapel Hill on Saturday. James, who is heading into his senior year at Indian River HIgh School in Chesapeake, VA, has been one of the Heels top targets in the state of Virginia since he was offered by Larry Fedora and his staff back in June. The 5’10, 170 lbs. James, who transferred prior to his junior season, finished his first year at the budding Virginia powerhouse with 578 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, while hauling in three interceptions on the defensive side. Prior to his transfer, James was a successful two-way player at Norfolk Christian High School, where he finished his sophomore season with 1,560 yards of total offense and 22 touchdowns, as well as 21 total tackles and one pass deflection.
The Heels are bringing James is as an athlete, but, according to Don Callahan of Inside Carolina, are skewing towards using him on the defensive side of the football. James’ tape shows why he can be used elsewhere, however. His next level straight line speed is an effective tool on both sides of the ball and is shown off by his tape. He appears to be a solid tackler, especially for someone who played exclusively as an outside corner on the defensive side of the ball. His shiftiness and ability to make people miss in the open field makes him an all-around weapon. Where the Heels will eventually settle on using him is now the question.
With James’ commitment, the Heels jump back up in the top 15 classes in the 2020 class rankings, as they sit 14th overall, but remain 4th in the ACC. The Heels are continuing to make a strong impression on the 2020 recruiting trail and are in a fantastic position with many of their top targets. Don’t expect much of a layoff between now and the Heels next commitment.