National Signing Day 2018: Heels add DB Deandre Hollins

The state of Florida continues to be kind to UNC this recruiting cycle, as the Heels added another Floridian player to this year’s class. While the big news was the joint commitment of offensive linemen William Barnes and Ed Montilus, UNC also received a signed Letter of Intent from Tampa, FL cornerback Deandre Hollins, per InsideCarolina. Hollins had committed to UNC last June, but wanted to wait until National Signing Day to sign alongside his high school teammates. There was some worry among the fanbase that this meant his commitment was not secure, but this worry has proven to be unfounded.

Hollins is rated by the 247Sports Composite as a 3-star player, the 145th-rated cornerback in this year’s class. This isn’t a rating that jumps out at you, but Hollins’ size certainly does. Coming out of high school at 6’2 as a cornerback is a big deal, and combined with the strength he displays on tape, it is clear that Hollins has all the tools required to become a #1 cornerback. He is a fairly raw prospect, however, as he does not consistently display awareness to help in run support or read the field in front of him when in zone coverage, according to InsideCarolina’s scouting report. These are things that can be coached and learned, however, meaning that Hollins probably has a better chance than most to outperform his rating.

UNC’s secondary was a strength this past year but will be undergoing some turnover after losing standout corner M.J. Stewart as well as starting safety Donnie Miles. Hollins, along with fellow 2018 signees Bryson Richardson, Javon Terry, and Trey Morrison, will try and keep the position group playing at a high level for years to come.

UPDATE: Here’s some highlight film of Hollins from UNC Football’s Twitter account: