Bordering SEC country without an SEC school in-state, North Carolina has major talent without the conference pressure.
Covering camps all over the country each year for SB Nation, I get a feel for the football culture of different regions. Saturday, I was in Charlotte for Nike's The Opening Regional's tour stop. Just like in Georgia, Alabama or Louisiana, the Bar-B-Q and the Southern drawl are present, as is the athleticism not found in many other places.
And North Carolina is about as close to being SEC territory as a state without an SEC team can be. Three of its four border states are home to SEC teams, and the SEC Network is based on Charlotte.
But culturally, football in North Carolina is different. There is not near as much college-related gear in the crowds. And unlike in Georgia, Mississippi, Alabama or Louisiana, you don't hear the same loyalty and respect paid to one conference over another.
The destinations of elite recruits in North Carolina as compared to prospects from major SEC strongholds make this very clear.
Fifty-one of 67 players rated four-stars or better by Rivals.com from the Deep South states of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia signed with SEC schools in 2015. That's a similar ratio to 2014 (53 of 64) and 2013 (46 of 54). Over the last three recruiting cycles, 148 of the 185 players rated four-stars or better from Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia signed with SEC programs -- exactly four in five. A non-SEC school trying to pull a prospect from one of those loaded states is going to be fighting an uphill battle.
Elite prospects from North Carolina are far less likely to sign with SEC teams, despite a complete lack of elite college football being played in the state. Over the last three cycles, only 9 of the 32 recruits rated four-stars or better by Rivals.com have gone on to sign with SEC schools. Players from the major talent-producing Deep South states are almost three times more likely to sign with an SEC school than their North Carolina counterparts.
Prospects rated four- or five-stars by Rivals.comThere are several potential reasons for this.
There's no denying that the SEC has had the most success in the lifetime of current recruits, with the league winning half of the national titles since 1999 and sending the most players to the NFL via the draft.
But in different areas, there exists a large difference in the level to which kids are inundated with the SEC message and made to feel like picking a non-SEC school is somehow an effort to duck competition. I pick up on that sentiment in much of the deep South, but rarely with North Carolina recruits.
I asked elite recruit Josh Brown, of Charlotte (NC) Mallard Creek about this phenomena. The four-star defensive end is committed to Florida State over offers from Alabama, Florida, LSU, etc. Brown feels that there is less pressure for elite North Carolina prospects to select an SEC school than prospects from actual SEC states.
"I think it is, yeah," Brown said. "Most of the ACC schools are right here in this general area, so I think that's why, too."
Football is not a religion in Carolina
Another thing I notice when checking out prospects from North Carolina is that they are often less refined than some of their counterparts in other Southern states. It doesn't seem to be that their schools have lesser quality coaches or facilities, but rather the amount of time put into football during the off-season.
The reason? AAU basketball. While it's not uncommon for prospects from other regions to play another sport like track, basketball, baseball or wrestling, the level to which hoops is emphasized in North Carolina is, perhaps unsurprisingly, unparalleled throughout the South. Everywhere else, hoops is seen as a secondary sport and not an equal.
And while there are certainly benefits to playing other sports, like developing agility, quickness of flexibility, it does mean that recruits in North Carolina aren't taking part in as much 7-on-7 football in the offseason, a competition that can develop receiver and defensive back coverage skills.
That lack of off-season development is especially evident with the quality of the defensive backs, with only one rated four- or five-star defensive back recruit in the last four signing classes (Mark Fields, who signed with Clemson).
But perhaps there is another impact of the basketball culture. Could it be that in a state in which football isn't quite as important as it is in other Southern states, the importance placed on the SEC's dominance is also downplayed?
Defensive line country
North Carolina is known for its defensive linemen, with more than 30 being rated as four- or five-stars in the last 15 years. Long defensive ends who look like wings and tackles who could pass for power forwards make up some of the state's top prospects, and the Charlotte event did not disappoint.
The biggest and most impressive of the bunch was Dexter Lawrence of Wake Forest (NC), who at 6'4.5, and 335 pounds ran a 5.0 flat 40-yard dash. Lawrence is rated as a five-star recruit and holds more than 30 scholarship offers, but is nowhere close to closing in on a college decision.
The aforementioned Brown was also in attendance, showing good agility and quickness. At 6'3 and 225 pounds, there are some questions about whether Brown profiles better as a defensive end or a linebacker. In truth, neither classification seems all that fitting or even necessary -- many teams now play with a hybrid end/tackle position in their defense.
The most impressive end on the day was Nick Coe, of Asheboro (NC). Coe has a great frame at 6'5, 255 with room for more. Coe showed very good burst and playing strength. His history as a multi-time champion wrestler really shines through with his balance and body control. Coe told me that he is working on his grades, and if he continues to improve them, I expect his offer list (currently North Carolina, Virginia Tech, Miami and West Virginia, plus some non-Power 5 programs) to explode.
Notre Dame defensive end commitment Julian Okwara, of Charlotte (NC) Ardrey Kell was an impressive looking pass rusher at 6'4, 220 and could play standing up or with his hand in the dirt.
And defensive tackle Christian Colon, of Charlotte (NC) Independence High School had a strong day as well. Colon holds offers from Penn State, Syracuse, North Carolina, N.C. State, Boston College and others, and in the last year has lost over 30 pounds. The difference was noticeable with Colon's quickness.
One bonus defensive line observation: Keep an eye out for Tyrone Truesdell, of Augusta (Ga.) Laney. Truesdell showed great quickness at 6'3, 300 and has plenty of interest from schools like Georgia, Alabama, Auburn and Florida State.