Mack Brown and his UNC football staff are entering year four in the second stint for the head coach. And now we are starting to see UNC’s recruiting classes under Brown come to fruition.
The 2022 class is the best under Brown so far and we could get a very early look at that talent coming in. The Tar Heels were able to lock down a top 15 class for the cycle and now they are receiving praise from ESPN for a pair of freshmen.
Both [autotag]Zach Rice[/autotag] and [autotag]George Pettaway[/autotag] were named to the ESPN preseason true freshman All-America team on Friday. The annual list spotlights the best true freshmen in the country.
Here is what Tom VanHaaren and Tom Luginbill had to say about Pettaway:
Like Singleton, British Brooks may be listed ahead of Pettaway on the depth chart, but Pettaway brings a different dimension with his sudden explosiveness and ability to make defenders miss. With Brooks and Pettaway, Mack Brown’s offense could resemble UNC’s 2020 run game, which featured the outstanding duo of Michael Carter and Javonte Williams.
I have to imagine this was written BEFORE British Brooks suffered an injury that will cost him the season. Pettaway has the chance to be the lead back for UNC this season and a big opportunity to become a household name.
As for Rice, the five-star has a chance to be a staple on UNC’s line for the future and earned praise in the article:
Rice, an early enrollee, started the spring game at right tackle and eventually could play both spots. Rice is clearly ready for the jump and did not look like a freshman during spring ball. He still needs to get stronger, but skill-wise, he is ready to go.
Even though UNC had just two players on the list, their 2022 class is very talented and it wouldn’t shock us to see others making an impact as well.
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