As has been well-documented on this website, the Carolina football staff has done an amazing job salvaging the 2019 recruiting class from where it was just two short months ago. When Larry Fedora was fired, it ranked 65th in the 247Sports class rankings— behind all but three or four Power 5 teams, and plenty of G5 ones as well. New head coach Mack Brown cut bait with a few of those commitments, dropping the class ranking into the 80’s.
With a flurry of surprises, including 4* quarterback Sam Howell and 4* OT Triston Miller flipping from ACC rivals, Carolina rose all the way to a respectable 35th in the rankings in December.