UNC Recruiting: Updates on football and basketball programs for 1/6

By Fansided and Blake Cockrum/FanSided via Keeping It Heel
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Jan 3, 2017; Clemson, SC, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Roy Williams reacts during the first half against the Clemson Tigers at Littlejohn Coliseum. Tar Heels won 89-86 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Joshua S. Kelly-USA TODAY Sports

Keeping It Heel puts UNC fans in the know with 2017’s first edition of Recruiting Roundup

It’s a big week for the University of North Carolina athletics department.

Junior running back Elijah Hood announced Friday afternoon that he would be declaring for the 2017 NFL Draft and a decision is still looming for starting quarterback Mitch Trubisky.

Meanwhile, after an up and down start to the ACC season, Roy Williams continues to work hard on the recruiting trail to secure the future of the men’s basketball team.

Some of the pending decisions directly affect where recruits may end up and Keeping It Heel will be here throughout to keep fans updated with everything they need to know.

Four-star running back considering North Carolina

A.J. Davis is a four-star running back out of Lakeland, Florida who is strongly considering a commitment to UNC.

According to the 247Sports Composite, Davis is ranked 214th overall and is the 15th best running back in the class of 2017. He’s also a top-40 player in the state of Florida.

Reports suggest that one of the biggest factors in Davis’ recruitment is playing time. The school that has the most snaps to offer the talented running back may be at an advantage.

Given that UNC junior running back Elijah Hood declared for the NFL Draft Friday afternoon, and senior running back T.J. Logan is out of eligibility, the Tar Heels may be the leader of the pack.

Three-star all-purpose back lists North Carolina in top-5

Darrian Felix is a 5-foot-11, 194-pound all-purpose back out of Fort Myers, Florida who is considered a three-star prospect and the No. 7 player at his position in the class of 2017.

Felix has cut his list down to five schools including Clemson, Nebraska, North Carolina, Oregon and Tennessee.

Oregon has long been considered the favorite to land Felix, but given the uncertainty surrounding the Oregon program at the moment, it doesn’t seem to be as automatic as it once was.

He received an in-home visit from the University of North Carolina in November and then took a trip to the campus in December.

Felix is a talented athlete with experience at the cornerback and running back positions. With all of the holes that North Carolina has to fill on both sides of the ball, Felix could find a comfortable spot on the UNC roster.

2018 offensive tackle lists UNC in final five schools

2018 offensive lineman Will Lawrence trimmed his list down to five schools and UNC made the cut.

He has offers from over 30 schools but has cut his list to Arizona, LSU, Michigan, Ohio State, and UNC. However, given that he is just a junior, he has plenty of time to consider other options.

The 6-foot-4, 285-pound prospect out of Memphis, Tennessee could be a nice get for a Tar Heels team that struggled to protect quarterback Mitch Trubisky late in the 2016 season.

Lawrence is a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite. He is a top-30 player at his position and top-15 overall in the state of Tennessee.

Three-star Florida running back will visit UNCAfter Western Kentucky head coach Jeff Brohm departed for the open position at Purdue, 2017 running back Tim Jordan decommitted from WKU and reopened his recruitment.Jordan, a 6-foot, 187-pound prospect from Bartow, Florida committed to the Hilltoppers just over a month ago, but decided to reconsider his options after watching his future head coach leave for another job opportunity.Jordan already has an official visit to UNC scheduled for the weekend of January 13th and trips to Tennessee and Purdue in subsequent weeks.There is no timetable for Jordan’s decision but the three aforementioned schools are considered the favorites in his recruitment moving forward.Roy Williams offers 2019 shooting guard Josh NickelberryAfter watching sophomore shooting guard Josh Nickelberry play on Thursday night, UNC head coach Roy Williams extended a scholarship offer on Friday morning.The 6-foot-4, 175-pound guard is a three-star prospect according to the 247Sports Composite and a top-10 player in the state of North Carolina.Nickelberry is a skilled shooter and capable ball-handler who could see time at both guard positions once he arrives on a college campus.Nickelberry has made a number of trips to the North Carolina campus including each of the last two Late Night With Roy events. He also visited UNC in mid-September and attended the Tar Heels’ game against Tennessee in December.In addition to the recent offer from North Carolina, he holds offers from Baylor, Clemson, Georgia Tech, VCU, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest.Tar Heels still in hot pursuit of 2017 small forward Kevin KnoxRoy Williams and the North Carolina coaching staff remain relentless in their recruitment of elite 2017 small forward Kevin Knox.Knox took an unofficial visit to UNC on December 28th and then received a visit from Roy Williams the very next day.The 6-foot-8, 210-pound senior is one of the highest remaining uncommitted prospects in the class of 2017 and the No. 1 player on the Tar Heels’ radar.Signing Knox would give the Tar Heels a player capable of making an immediate impact next season as well as helping to bring in other big name players that are considering UNC as their college destination.Roy Williams in attendance to watch 2018 commit Coby WhiteOn Thursday night, UNC verbal commit Coby White led Greenfield to a victory over defending North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association 1-A champion Fayetteville Trinity Christian.Led by White, Greenfield won the game 73-70 with UNC head coach Roy Williams in attendance.White, a 6-foot-4, 170-pound combo guard who committed to the Tar Heels in July, finished the game with 34 points, six assists and five rebounds.White and with Montverde Academy’s Rechon Black, make up UNC’s early 2018 recruiting class. Both are consensus top-50 players and currently have the Tar Heels ranked No. 3 in the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.More from Keeping It Heel2017 NFL Draft: UNC running back Elijah Hood declares1 h agoUNC Recruiting: The Importance of Kevin Knox to UNC6h agoUNC Football: Elijah Hood having second thoughts about returning?22h agoUNC in the NBA: Harrison Barnes flourishing in lead role22h agoUNC Basketball: 3 Things about Theo Pinson’s Possible Return1 d agoThis article originally appeared on