Mack Brown and the UNC football program are identifying their top targets in the 2023 recruiting class and one player near the top of the list is five-star safety Caleb Downs.
The Georgia native has a connection to the program as his older brother, Josh, is a star receiver for the Tar Heels. Downs had a breakout year last season breaking school records and it’s possible he and his brother could play together.
But where do things stand in Caleb’s recruitment?
The No. 8 ranked player in the 2023 class per 247Sports has a total of 34 offers in his recruitment but there appear to be a few favorites. The big names like Georgia, Alabama, Clemson, and Ohio State are involved but so are the Tar Heels. And according to one writer, UNC might be the dark horse.
Andrew Ivins of 247Sports wrote on Downs’ recruitment and the contenders involved. For the Tar Heels, Ivins called them a dark horse team to watch here as the recruitment goes on:
If there’s a dark horse in this recruitment, it has got to be UNC. And why not? Downs’ older brother, Josh, goes to school there and was an All-ACC selection this past season, but his uncle, Dre Bly, also happens to be a full-time coach for the Tar Heels.
A few weeks ago, when Downs attended a Junior Day at North Carolina, he and some friends stayed at Bly’s house, which says a lot about the family. Bly likely is telling the younger Downs to do what’s best for him, but that doesn’t mean that he can’t angle for the Tar Heels to at least get an official visit.
One other thing to note with UNC and Downs is the fact that Chalrton Warren now works in Chapel Hill. The veteran assistant at one time was recruiting Downs to Georgia and Downs likes how he comes from the Nick Saban-Kirby Smart tree.
It’s tough to say who exactly leads right now in this recruitment, but those words on UNC are a positive. Having multiple connections to the program help as well and UNC should be in this until the end.
But can they pull off the surprise?
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