Tag: Chris Culliver

What Mack Brown said after Heels dominate Camels for seventh win

UNC football head coach Mack Brown was a happy camper after his team’s much-needed, 59-7 thumping of Campbell. Check out what he said.

All is well in Chapel Hill.

After two straight weeks in which UNC went from fringe College Football Playoff contender to an ACC afterthought, thanks to losses against sub-.500 UVA and Georgia Tech, UNC responded Saturday afternoon with a 59-7 thumping of Campbell.

Tar Heels running back Omarion Hampton reached the 1,000-yard rushing yardage mark for the season on his first of two, second quarter touchdowns. Carolina quarterback Drake Maye threw touchdowns on a quarter of his 16 completions, while UNC star wide receiver Devontez Walker caught both of his passes for scores.

Playmakers showed up everywhere on Carolina’s defense, with five different guys recording a sack or part of one. UNC recovered three Camel fumbles and limited an opponent to single-digits for the second time this year.

With all the Tar Heels did well, you know that head coach Mack Brown is a happy camper. He might event bust out some of his signature dance moves – on or off camera.

What exactly did Brown have to say exactly after Carolina’s dominating victory?

UNC football lands four-star wide receiver in 2023 class

The UNC football program has added a four-star wide receiver in the 2023 recruiting class on Monday, continuing their hot streak.

The good news just keeps coming in for Mack Brown and the UNC football program. After adding several players to their 2023 class last week, the Tar Heels have added another recruit.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Chris Culliver[/autotag] announced on Monday that he is committing to North Carolina, becoming the latest player to join that 2023 “Jordan” class for the program. Culliver made his announcement on Monday night, picking the Tar Heels over 18 total offers and a top 7 list he announced last month.

Culliver was down to UNC, Virginia Tech, NC State, Ohio State, Appalachian State, Maryland and Florida State. But in the end it really felt like a two-team race between the Tar Heels and Hokies.

The 6-foot-3, 174-pound Culliver hails out of Maiden, North Carolina, and is the No. 313 overall recruit, No. 42 wide receiver, and No. 12 player in the state of North Carolina per 247Sports.

With the addition of Culliver, UNC now has 14 commitments in their 2023 recruiting class. They have also jumped inside the Top 25 in the 247Sports team rankings with their recent surge.

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Four-star wide receiver sets commitment date

A four-star UNC football recruiting target has set his commitment date as his recruitment comes to an end.

Mack Brown and the UNC football program are hoping their hot streak on the recruiting trail continues this week. After landing seven prospects a week ago, including three on Friday, another top target of the Tar Heels is set to make his announcement.

Four-star wide receiver [autotag]Chris Culliver[/autotag] took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal that he is making his decision on Monday afternoon. Culliver set a time for 5:30 p.m. central as his recruitment comes to an end.

The 6-foot-3, 174-pound Culliver has a total of 18 offers but cut his list down to seven finalists: UNC, Virginia Tech, NC State, Ohio State, Appalachian State, Maryland and Florida State.

Culliver has taken two official visits in his recruitment as he was in Chapel Hill on June 17th and then followed it up with a trip to Virginia Tech on the 24th. The 247Sports Crystal Ball has UNC as the favorite with all three predictions.

The recruit is ranked No. 313 nationally, No. 42 wide receiver and the No. 12 player in the state of North Carolina per the 247Sports recruiting rankings.

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Carolinas wideout aiming to get back to Clemson after ‘great’ visit; hopeful for offer

A Tar Heel State three-star wideout drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5. The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Maiden (N.C.) High School’s Chris Culliver, who …

A Tar Heel State three-star wideout drawing interest from Clemson made his way to campus for Clemson’s second junior day of the year on Saturday, March 5.

The Clemson Insider recently caught up with Maiden (N.C.) High School’s Chris Culliver, who recapped his first visit to Clemson’s campus in an exclusive interview.

“They were just telling me that they were glad that I made time to come see them, that I was going to enjoy everything and that he loved my film and stuff like that,” Culliver said. “He wanted me to come for another spring practice.”

Culliver indicated that he discussed a potential offer with wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham close to the end of the visit when everyone was leaving.

Right now, Clemson is focused on building a relationship with Culliver. They would also like for him to get back on campus before they potentially pull the trigger on an offer.

“It meant a lot for me to get back up there because I want to build a relationship with most of the coaches,” he said. “So, hopefully, I can get an offer from them.”

What would picking up an offer from Clemson ultimately mean to him?

“It would be good because I like everything about Clemson and the coaches,” Culliver said. “They keep it real. Coach Swinney’s not ever gonna lie to you. Everything he says has truth to it. It would be a big, big thing to get an offer from there.”

It means a lot to Culliver that Clemson wants to build a relationship with him before they offer him, so he’s just trying to take that in.

With that said, Culliver told us that he’s definitely looking to get back up to Clemson.

Culliver wasn’t the only North Carolina-based wide receiver on campus that weekend. The other, of course, is Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star Christian Hamilton, who Culliver is particularly close with.

The two wideouts straight out of the 704 have developed a tight-knit bond with each other and even posed for some pictures with one another during the photoshoot aspect of the visit.

“It was good to see my guy,” Culliver said. “It’s crazy to think that I was there and got to talk to Coach Dabo (Swinney). It was a blessing to be there with (Christain) for sure.”

We reported in this week’s edition of the Insider Report that Hamilton spoke briefly with his receivers coach, Justin Hagler, and aside from the pictures and the hype video that Clemson made, he said they talked to him more about the school this time and the overall campus life.

We can also tell you that Hamilton is loving the attention and support that Clemson coaches like Tyler Grisham are giving him.

As is Culliver.

He’s also a huge fan of the way Grisham coaches.

“It looked like all the receivers were engaged,” Culliver said. “I saw No. 80 (Beaux Collins) catch a fade. I was just enjoying watching everyone run their routes. Coach Dabo’s son (Drew Swinney) was looking good out there too.”

Culliver indicated that the highlight of his campus visit was being able to listen to Swinney’s speech, which lasted over two hours, towards the end. He was completely captivated and so was every recruit around him.

“It was just how he got up there in front of us all and was telling us his whole story, Culliver said, “like his whole background and he was just stating the facts about Clemson. He just said something that stuck with me a little bit and I was just thinking about it the whole ride home. I wrote it down in my notebook.”

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Top talent flocking to Tiger Town for Clemson’s ‘spring elite day’

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023. Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix …

Clemson is set to host a slew of top prospects today for its second junior day of the year, which the Tigers are dubbing their “spring elite day” for recruits in the class of 2023.

Among the headliners expected to be in attendance is Central (Phenix City, Ala.) five-star A.J. Harris, the nation’s No. 2 cornerback and No. 17 overall prospect in the 2023 class, per the 247Sports Composite rankings. The 6-foot-2, 175-pounder has made multiple trips to Tiger Town and is a priority target for the Tigers. Last September, he released a top seven comprised of Clemson, Alabama, LSU, Notre Dame, North Carolina, Georgia and Ohio State.

Harris will be joined on campus by a host of other talented defensive backs, including Harris’ teammate at Central, cornerback Quintavious Billingsley; Lake Mary (Fla.) four-star cornerback Braedan Marshall; Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) three-star cornerback Colton Hood; Daniel (Central, S.C.) cornerback Misun Kelley; North Oconee (Bogart, Ga.) cornerback Khalil Barnes; Loachapoka (Auburn, Ala.) cornerback Jacorious Hart; Milton (Alpharetta, Ga.) three-star safety Robert Billings; and A.C. Reynolds (Asheville, N.C.) safety Dashawn Stone.

Another headliner slated to be on hand for the spring elite day is Oceanside Collegiate Academy (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) four-star offensive lineman Monroe Freeling.

It will mark his first visit to Clemson since attending the Florida State game in late October of last year. He was also on campus last June to participate in the Dabo Swinney Camp, after which he picked up an offer from the Tigers.

Freeling said during a recent interview with The Clemson Insider that the Tigers “stand highly” in his recruitment heading into today’s visit.

“I really loved the culture there when I first went up and I’ve been maintaining a good relationship with (offensive line) coach (Thomas) Austin,” he said, “and I’m just looking forward to growing it some more when I get out there.”

Along with Clemson, which is heavily pursuing Freeling, he named Miami and Notre Dame as a couple of schools that have been recruiting him the hardest.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Freeling is the No. 1 prospect in South Carolina, No. 9 offensive tackle nationally and No. 82 overall prospect for the 2023 class.

South Point (Belmont, N.C.) four-star offensive lineman Sullivan Absher will also return to Clemson after picking up an offer from the Tigers in February – an offer that he told TCI he “had been working for, for a very long time.”  He previously traveled to Clemson twice during this past season – first for the Boston College game in October and then for the Wake Forest game in November.

Another big-time offensive lineman will be on campus today as well in Eagles Landing Christian Academy (McDonough, Ga.) four-star tackle Zechariah Owens.

As for the defensive linemen expected to be among the junior day visitors, there are several prominent prospects, namely St. John’s (Washington, D.C.) four-star David Ojiegbe, Hewitt-Trussville (Trussville, Ala.) four-star Hunter Osborne, Rome (Ga.) four-star Stephiylan Green, Upson-Lee (Thomaston, Ga.) four-star T.J. Searcy and Woodward Academy (Atlanta, Ga.) four-star A.J. Hoffler.

A bunch of other standout class of 2023 prospects are on the expected guest list for the spring elite day, as well, including Hickory Ridge (Harrisburg, N.C.) four-star wide receiver Christian Hamilton; Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) four-star tight end Reid Mikeska; Denmark (Alpharetta, Ga.) four-star linebacker Dee Crayton; Fairfax (Va.) four-star linebacker Tony Rojas; F.W. Buchholz (Gainesville, Fla.) three-star wide receiver Creed Whittemore; Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star wide receiver Chris Culliver; Phoebus (Hampton, Va.) three-star athlete Jordan Bass; Sumter (S.C.) athlete Zyeir Gamble; and Dutch Fork (Irmo, S.C.) running back Jarvis Green.

A few notable 2024 prospects are planning to visit Clemson today, too, in Carrollwood Day (Tampa, Fla.) four-star defensive back Tavoy Feagin, Weddington (Matthews, N.C.) tight end Brooks Mauk and Towers (Decatur, Ga.) wide receiver/cornerback Keshawn Weathers.

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Upcoming Clemson visit a ‘no-brainer’ for Carolinas WR

The Clemson Insider has learned that a Tar Heel State wide receiver will be among the visitors on campus for Clemson’s Junior Day on Saturday, March 5. Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star Chris Culliver spoke at length with TCI Thursday regarding …

The Clemson Insider has learned that a Tar Heel State wide receiver will be among the visitors on campus for Clemson’s Junior Day on Saturday, March 5.

Maiden (N.C.) High School three-star Chris Culliver spoke at length with TCI Thursday regarding his ongoing relationship with Clemson wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham and his thoughts ahead of next month’s visit.

“I’m very excited,” he said. “As soon as he asked me to come, it was a no-brainer. I said yes right off the bat.”

“I’ve been talking to Coach Grisham a lot,” Culliver added. “He’s just been trying to get me to come down there. I’ve been ready to get down since the beginning of football season. They’ve been saying that they like my tape a lot.”

According to Culliver —a 6-3, 180-pound junior — Grisham likes that he can go up and get the ball anytime. Culliver also has some speed to his game as well, so Grisham likes that he’s fast and real long too.

Grisham stopped by Maiden High School to see Culliver in late January, towards the end of the live period.

“It meant a lot to see one of them teams come by because I went to Clemson a long time ago with my brother,” he said. “It’s been a close school that I’ve been wanting to get for a long time. So, that means a lot for (Grisham) to come down and see me and talk to me a little bit.”

Culliver describes his relationship with Clemson’s wide receivers coach as a “good one,” but he’s looking to grow close with him and is hopeful that next month’s visit will push it in that direction.

What else is the talented wideout hoping to get out of next month’s visit?

“I just want to get a feel for the coaches and look on campus and get a feel around,” Culliver said.

He’s also been communicating with Grisham about an offer, which could very well come when he makes his return visit to The Valley.

“I’m hoping to get one when I get down there,” he said regarding a potential offer. “He wants to see me in person and get a feel for me around the coaches and stuff.”

Even without an offer, Culliver still holds Clemson in high regard and the Tigers are certainly up there, as far as his recruitment is concerned. He’s not currently in a rush to make a decision, as there are still a couple of visits that he wants to make, but Culliver indicated that he wants to have his recruitment wrapped up, prior to his senior season.

In addition to Clemson, Culliver will be visiting North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Michigan State and the University of Florida, come March.

Culliver had previously camped at Clemson, along with his older brother, who ran track at Lenoir Rhyne University. He took a picture with the uniform on and everything. That was the first camp he ever attended.

 A combination of him camping at Clemson and Grisham getting ahold of his junior year film has put Culliver on the Tigers’ radar.

His junior season was one to remember. Culliver recorded 62 catches with 1,310 and 26 total touchdowns. He ultimately described himself as an “electric playmaker,” which certainly shows when you turn on the tape.

One wideout that Culliver looks up to and tries to emulate his game after is a former Clemson standout  — Tee Higgins, who just recorded two touchdown receptions in last Sunday’s Super Bowl with the Cincinnati Bengals.

“Before every high school game, I would watch Tee Higgins’ (Clemson) highlights,” he said. “That just got me hyped up.”

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Rivals compares Irish commit Styles Jr. to who?

Mike Farrell of Rivals, compares current Notre Dame commit Lorenzo Styles Jr. to a former five-star.

Fresh off of an opening day win for his Pickering Central team (check out his highlights here), Lorenzo Styles Jr. along with the rest of their updated Top 50 prospects were looked at who they most resemble at the next level.

The comparison that Rival’s Director of Recruiting Mike Farrell gave Styles Jr. was to former South Carolina Gamecock Chris Culliver. You maybe wondering why Styles Jr. has been compared to a defensive back in Culliver, but Farrell seems similarities in their projections as “Culliver was a five-star out of high school, who focused on offense but ended up as a defender in the NFL.”

This is not a bad thing for Styles Jr., as positional versatility is so important for players. Take a look at one of the best corners currently in the NFL in San Francisco’s Richard Sherman. While at Stanford, Sherman was a wide receiver for his first two years before moving over to cornerback his junior year. Fast forward to now and Sherman has a Super Bowl ring, 5 times he’s been to a Pro-Bowl and named to the NFL’s all-decade team for 2010’s. Sherman should end up in Canton as well, so it’s safe to say the move for him went well.

The Culliver comparison has more to do with ability than off-the-field antics, where the former Gamecock has had plenty of issues. Farrell sees Styles Jr. as having the same “speed and shiftiness” as Culliver’s.

The ceiling is high for Styles Jr., as he could end up playing on either side of the ball, but Farrell notes that he “will likely stay on offense.” Regardless, Blue and Gold nation are happy he’s going to suit up for the good guys next fall. Stay tuned as Rivals continues this series and Irish offensive tackle commit Blake Fisher is compared to a former collegiate star as well.