Welcome to the official National Signing Day thread for the 2021 early signing period. This is where you will be able to find out who is signing their letters of intent throughout the day, as we will update this with the latest information surrounding the Tar Heels 2021 class. Thanks for reading and enjoy NSD 2021, folks.
7:00 AM
Players can now officially begin sending in their LOI's. Many of the 18 commits have COVID-era ceremonies scheduled for later today, but there should be a lot of guys who will send their LOI in before their scheduled ceremony.
7:15 AM
The first LOI of the day is in and it is 3✮ WDE Trevion Stevenson. He is rated as the No. 92 WDE in the 2021 class according to 247Sports and it appears that he is set to play his senior season at Phoebus High School in Hampton, VA if the state of Virginia plays in February.
7:30 AM
4✮ ILB Power Echols becomes the first of fourteen in-state commits to sign his LOI. He is rated as the No. 7 ILB in the class and has confirmed that he will forego his senior season to enroll early with the Tar Heels.
7:45 AM
3✮ ATH Caleb Hood is the first of two Tar Heels legacies that are expected to sign with the team today. Hood is rated as the No. 49 ATH in the class and the early indications are that he will play his senior season at Richmond Senior High School in Rockingham, NC starting in February.
8:00 AM
The top-rated prospect in the class has just sent his LOI in. 5✮ SDE Keeshawn Silver, the No. 5 SDE in the class, becomes the third straight signee from the home state of North Carolina. Silver has already confirmed that he will enroll early and compete for playing time early in his career.
8:15 AM
One of the most exciting prospects in the class, 4✮ OLB Raneiria Dillworth has signed his LOI. He is currently rated as the No. 6 OLB in the class and will join the team as an early enrollee, forgoing his senior season at Glenn High School in Kernersville, NC.
8:30 AM
The Tar Heels have their quarterback in the 2021 class officially signed. 4✮ PRO Drake Maye is the No. 6 PRO in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings and will be early enrolling to compete for the backup quarterback job with Jacolby Criswell in the offseason.
8:45 AM
The Tar Heels have added the latest member to their backfield. 4✮ RB Kamarro Edmonds, the No. 13 RB in the class, appears as if he will play out his senior season at Havelock High School in Havelock, NC, but with the possibility that both Michael Carter and Javonte Williams departing at season's end, he could still get playing time when he arrives.
9:00 AM
4✮ S Dontavius Nash, the Tar Heels first commit of the 2021 class, has just signed his LOI. The No. 18 S in the class has already confirmed that he will be foregoing his senior season at Hunter Huss High School in Gastonia, NC and enrolling early.
9:15 AM
The team has their first offensive lineman signed in the class. 3✮ OT Diego Pounds, the No. 42 OT in the 247Sports Composite rankings, is expected to play out his senior season at Millbrook High School in Raleigh, NC.
9:30 AM
One of the quieter commits in the class, 4✮ ATH DeAndre Boykins, has just signed his LOI. The No. 6 ATH in the class will be a versatile weapon that can be used on either side of the football for the Tar Heels.
9:45 AM
The Tar Heels have just received their first LOI from the trio of receivers in the 2021 class. 3✮ WR Kobe Paysour, the No. 68 WR in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings, has just recently concluded his high school career at Gaffney High School in Gaffney, SC and will be enrolling early with the Tar Heels.
10:00 AM
Both of the offensive line commits are in now, as 4✮ OT Eli Sutton has just sent in his LOI. The No. 20 OT in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings just finished his senior season at Brentwood Academy in Brentwood, TN, but there has been no definitive answer as to whether he will enroll early or not.
10:15 AM
The Tar Heels most recent commit has just signed his letter of intent. 4✮ TE Bryson Nesbit, the No. 13 TE in the class, just committed to the Tar Heels earlier this month and the question is if the South Mecklenburg High School senior will stay behind to play his final year of football in February.
10:30 AM
The Tar Heels one and only cornerback commit in the class has just submitted his LOI. 3✮ ATH Tymir Brown, the No. 31 ATH in the class according to 247Sports is listed as an athlete, but all indications would suggest the Tar Heels will be using him as a corner when he joins the team. The thinking right now is that Brown will remain in school for his senior season at Jacksonville High School in Jacksonville, NC.
10:45 AM The Tar Heels final athlete of the class has just sent his letter of intent in. 4✮ ATH Gabe Stephens, who has played everywhere from cornerback to defensive end in his career, is rated as the No. 11 ATH in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings. He confirmed earlier this year that he will be staying in school for the February season at Mountain Island Charter School in Mt. Holly, NC.
12:16 PM
After a slight layoff, 4✮ SDE Jahvaree Ritzie has completed all of the defensive signings for the class. The No. 11 SDE in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings has confirmed that he will be enrolling in January.
2:15 PM
There is now just one commit left to sign as 4✮ WR Gavin Blackwell has just signed his LOI. The No. 36 WR in the class will be an early enrollee as he confirmed earlier this offseason, skipping his final year at Sun Valley High School in Monroe, NC to try to earn some playing time with his former high school teammate, Sam Howell.
2:30 PM
The early signing period signings are now all wrapped up, as 3✮ WR J.J. Jones has just submitted his LOI. Jones, the No. 66 WR in the class according to 247Sports Composite rankings, just finished his high school career a couple of weeks ago at Myrtle Beach High School in Myrtle Beach, SC. It is unclear if he will enroll early or in the summer.