For the fourth time in five days, the Tar Heels have added a member to the 2020 recruiting class. Wednesday night, 3✮ SDE Kaimon Rucker committed to Carolina via Twitter following his offer from Mack Brown’s staff on Saturday evening. Rucker becomes the third defensive line commit in the last two weeks for the Tar Heels, after they entered the month June without a single defensive lineman committed.
Last year, as a junior at Hart County High School in Hartwell, GA, Rucker won the 8AAA Player of the Year award, racking up 81 total tackles, 19.0 tackles for a loss and 8.0 sacks as one of the lone bright spots for a Hart County team that limped to a 4-7 record last year.
Rucker, similar to Monday’s commit Sean Martin, showcases the athleticism necessary to play the rush end position that will stand up most of the time in Jay Bateman’s defensive scheme. Rucker uses a combination of speed and swim moves to get in the backfield, which he did constantly on tape. His quick release off of the line of scrimmage allows him to gain advantages on slower offensive tackles. Rucker has the size to stand up within the first few seasons on campus, but if he was to kick inside to a 3-4 defensive end position, he would have to add weight. Rucker provides a ton of upside and should be a name that Tar Heel fans keep an eye on to move up in the player rankings as the year goes on.
Rucker’s commitment gives the Heels a remarkable nineteen committed prospects in the 2020 class. The Heels still remain 8th in the 247Sports Composite rankings and 3rd in the ACC, but rumor has it that another big commitment may be in the wings in the near future.
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