North Carolina looks to benefit from what Arizona State couldn’t hold onto. Jermani Brown committed to the Sun Devils back in November, but just six months later he had a change of heart and now UNC is in a great spot to add another commit.
After a period of open recruitment, Brown has decided on Boise State, Utah, and UNC as his top three schools. He also holds offers from Michigan State, Virginia, Virginia Tech, West Virginia, and several other programs. He named the Tar Heels as his top team, and they are also the school pursuing him the most aggressively.
"It means a lot that they're showing so much interest," said the 5-foot-11, 170-pound Brown. "I feel like I can believe what they say when they tell me how much they think I'll impact the program. They're also a program on the rise and I think they'll be a force in the future.
"I've been in contact with (linebackers) coach (John) Papuchis. From the start, he was very excited and wanted me to go down and visit UNC as much as possible, so he could see me and help me learn more about the school. That really got me fired up. I would say they're leading right now."
The five-foot-eleven, 170-pound Brown transferred from California to Midlothian High School in Virginia, which explains his comfort with either coast. He is ranked as the sixth-best player in his new state and comes in at 225th overall in the national composite. The four-star talent is also ranked as the 11th-best athlete in the 2017 class. If Brown were to commit to UNC, he would join a robust group that includes fellow athlete Ryan Jones and cornerback (how ESPN ranks Brown) Tre’ Shaw.