North Carolina Remains No. 15 in SI All-American Recruiting Rankings

Heels have two SI99 prospects in class of 2021

Sports Illustrated All-American updated its 2021 team recruiting rankings for the month of November, and North Carolina still has one of the top recruiting classes in the state.

With 17 verbal commitments, including two in the SI99—SI All-American’s ranking of the top 99 prospects in the country, North Carolina is No. 15 in the country, unchanged from its position in the October rankings.

SIAA takes a subjective approach to the team rankings, emphasizing quality over quantity with the scope on premium position prospects and SI99 members. Programs addressing specific team needs also play a key role in determining the pecking order.

Ohio State and Alabama remain the top two teams, with LSU jumping over Clemson for the third spot.

Clemson (4), Notre Dame (10) and Miami (11) were the ACC teams ranked ahead of the Tar Heels. Clemson is down one spot in the last month. Notre Dame moved up one spot, while the Hurricanes fell two notches.

Of the UNC 2021 class, SIAA said, “Head coach Mack Brown has established UNC as a true recruiting threat to both ACC and SEC schools. The Tar Heels currently hold 17 pledges, with the offensive class headliner being our No. 5 QB Drake Maye. The anchor on the defensive side of Brown’s 2021 class is none other than DE Keyshawn Silver, the No. 22 overall prospect in the SI99. North Carolina has focused on keeping in-state talent flowing to Chapel Hill, as 13 of its commitments hail from the Tar Heel state.”