The NFL Draft took over the focus of the sports for the bulk of this past week, but there was still some interesting bit of news that came out around Tar Heel football. Here a look at some of the latest storylines around Tar Heel football.
Cunningham Will Do What’s Best For Student Athletes with Fall Sports
Athletic director Bubba Cunningham addressed the fate of the fall athletic season on Friday in an interview with 97.9 WCHL in Chapel Hill. Cunningham told the Tar Heels local radio affiliate that the plan as of right now is to still play sports this upcoming fall, but that the decision will focus on what is best for the student athletes on campus. “We’ve got 800 student athletes competing in these sports,” Cunningham told the station during his interview. “The number one thing we’re all concerned about is making sure they get a great education.” The hope is that the Tar Heels will be able to take the field for this upcoming season, one that is as highly anticipated as any in recent memory. ACC commissioner John Swofford echoed a similar mindset in his interview with 99.9 The Fan in Raleigh on that same day. We're different than professional sports in the sense that we're a part of higher education and a part of campus life and intercollegiate athletics are tied to campuses and student support and alumni support and those constituencies being a big part of it. Our athletes are students. So all of that is intertwined," The good news for those hoping there will be a 2020 season is that, to this point, there has been no concrete discussions of moving or canceling the season. Swofford did address the possibility that shortening the season could be in play or a move into the second semester of the school year, though, both of which seem like they could be possibilities whenever the inevitable discussions take place.
2021 4✮ SDE Jahvaree Ritzie Releases Top Five
One of, if not the biggest remaining in-state target in the 2021 class narrowed his decision down to five schools on Sunday afternoon. The Tar Heels, who remain a strong favorite to land Ritzie’s commitment, were solidly amongst the five along with Georgia, Ohio State, South Carolina and Tennessee. With many believing that he is virtually a silent commit to Carolina, there isn’t much concern around him at the moment. The longer he drags out his recruitment, however, the more unease there will be, especially with the momentum that the Volunteers have built on the recruiting trail in the past week. The earlier the Tar Heels can get Ritzie to commit, the better.
2021 3✮ DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins Down to Thirteen
It has been a good week for the Tar Heels with their defensive line targets. Ingram-Dawkins is one of the Tar Heels three remaining targets at the defensive tackle position and the Tar Heels have built a solid relationship. The Tar Heels join Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, Michigan, NC State, Oklahoma, Oregon, Penn State, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and Virginia Tech as part of the group that will continue to compete for his services. While 4✮'s Payton Page and Tyleik Williams are likely the bigger targets, the Tar Heels are doing a good job of keeping themselves in the Ingram-Dawkins race.
2021 4✮ WR’s Bryson and Blaine Green Place Tar Heels Among Top Ten
The Tar Heels already have two commits at the wide receiver spot so far in this 2021 class, but it doesn’t appear they’re done just yet. In a bit of a surprise, the Tar Heels were among the final ten schools for the Green brothers who haven’t been talked about that much amongst the Tar Heels remaining targets at the position. While it seems likely that the Texas-based twins will likely stay in Big 12 country, the fact is, the Tar Heels are looking to add another wide or two to this class before it’s all said and done, especially a taller receiver that can win 1-on-1 battles on the outside.