Heel Tough Blog: Where Do the Tar Heels Go After LaMareon James’ Decommitment?

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The Tar Heels lost their first member of the 2020 class since Sean Martin’s decommitment back in early August on Sunday afternoon. That’s when 2020 3✮ CB LaMareon James announced via Twitter that was re-opening his recruitment after being committed to Carolina since March.

James’ decommitment definitely stings, especially with the fact that he was one of the more vocal members of the 2020 class when it came to recruiting fellow players to the class. The good news is, the Tar Heels still have guys like Rayonta Rose and Jayden Chalmers, who continue to push to add new commitments to the class.

The concern for the Tar Heels at the cornerback position is minimal with both Bryce Watts and Kyler McMichael scheduled to be eligible next year and senior Patrice Rene expected to return after an ACL injury ended his season after just two games this season. That means that the Tar Heels are not scheduled to lose a single player this offseason and Chalmers is already committed to this 2020 class, so there is a reason to still confident in the position group going forward. It also helps that Tar Heels are one of seven left battling for 2020 4✮ ATH Elijah Gaines, another athlete that looks as if he’ll play the defensive side of the football at the college level.

As for the direction of the 2020 class overall, the decommitment dropped the Tar Heels from to 19th in the 247Sports Composite team rankings overall and 4th in the ACC. The good news is, the Tar Heels still have some major targets that have yet to make their decisions that they are in good standing. 2020 5✮ WDE Desmond Evans is the focus on the trail right now and his constant trips to campus just continue to solidify the notion that the Tar Heels are the heavy favorites for his services. 2020 4✮ WR KeAndre Lambert has the Tar Heels as one of the finalists still in the running for his services, but some are under the impression that himself and James are going to be a package deal to Virginia Tech. Those are the major targets that the Tar Heels have their focus on right now, but expect new names to emerge as the season progresses, especially in the secondary and at linebacker.