We typically haven't done too much recruiting coverage here at Garnet and Black Attack. We talk about big-name prospects and signees, sure. However, my thinking has always been that, first of all, there's very little I have to add to what you know from other outlets. I'm not out hitting Friday night games and therefore don't know any more than the average guy that reads reads updates elsewhere. Second of all, I'm a little bit leery of the intense scrutiny that's put on 17-year-old kids these days. I'm not sure I want to get too caught up in that.
However, recruiting is a big part of the college game, and it deserves a bit more attention here at GABA than it gets, particularly now that the season is nearing an end and we're staring down national signing today. So, here goes: The question for today is, which remaining, uncommitted prospect are you most concerned about signing, other than Jadeveon Clowney?
Two key guys to keep your eyes on are QBs Tanner McEvoy and Jacoby Brissett. The staff say they want to sign a QB, and these are the two guys they're looking at. Brissett is the better prospect, but from what I've seen, McEvoy is the one we have the best shot at. Don't sell McEvoy short, though--he's 6'5 with room to put some meat on his bones and reportedly can run the zone read quite well. Sounds kind of like Cameron Newton, which sounds good to me. McEvoy would be a great guy to get our hands on. With Stephen Garcia graduating this coming year, Carolina needs depth at QB. McEvoy could also turn out to be a quality receiver for us if he doesn't pan out at QB.
Another big name on the horizon who would be a big pickup for Carolina is Lateek Townsend. In 2010 we lacked the kind of elite LBs that we've had in the past, and while we were generally good in the middle this year, I would have liked to see better pass rushing and containment than we got from the Will position. Townsend is a guy who can provide that over the next few years.
My pick for most important prospect, though, is Phillip Dukes. I'm a big believer in the idea that what sets apart the elite defenses (i. e., Alabama 2008-2009) and from the merely good ones (Carolina 2008-2009) is a fantastic defensive line, particularly in the middle. It's simple, really: If you can't stop the run between the tackles, you're always going to be vulnerable against well-rounded offensive units. Unfortunately, great defensive tackles are hard to come by, as there are only so many 300-pound guys who have freakish measurables to go around. Most of them end up at places like Alabama, Florida, and LSU. Dukes, along with some of the other top-shelf line talent we have coming like Kelcy Quarles and, hopefully, Clowney, would give us a really nice player at the critical DT position.
So, who do you like? Note that there are some other key prospects I didn't mention, like Jerrell Adams, the Dixons, etc.