Welcome back to our gathering and happy holidays!

Last Wednesday marked the National Early Signing Day, which brought about some unexpected developments. It is truly gratifying to witness these aspiring athletes turn their aspirations into actuality by signing their names on the dotted line. Until the signing takes place, the recruitment process remains hypothetical. I will provide a summary in the first installment.

There are currently more than 25 open head coaching positions in North Carolina. You can find an updated list of these openings here.

I am close to reaching a milestone of 100. I have been creating a roster of potential coaches for both current and future job openings. In the second category, I have identified head coaches in their respective levels who are capable of moving up to larger schools. And in the third category, I have noted assistant coaches who have made a strong impression and may be ready for a promotion.

First Down: Summarizing an eventful day of signings

To be truthful, signing day typically holds little significance for me. As someone who closely follows recruiting news, there is often not much excitement since we are already aware of the outcomes. However, this year was an exception!

Everyone was aware of a potential change in commitment that involved Amaris Williams, who was previously committed to Florida but ultimately signed with Auburn on National Signing Day. There were also rumors about another potential change involving Terrell Anderson, who was possibly considering switching from NC State to Georgia, but this did not end up happening. A high school player, D’Nas White, made a traditional announcement and signing ceremony by committing to Florida State and signing immediately. However, the night before Signing Day, highly-touted prospect Keenan Jackson, who was named MVP of the 4A state championship, surprised everyone by withdrawing his commitment from UNC. The following morning, Jackson signed with NC State after the team continued to pursue him.

Following the major change, the in-state class of 2024 for UNC and NC State appear to be quite alike.

NC State signed:

• Terrell Anderson, a 4-star recruit from Grimsley High School in Greensboro, is a talented wide receiver.

• 3-star Brody Barnhardt, Defensive Back, Providence Day (Charlotte)

• Keenan Jackson, a wide receiver from Weddington High School in Matthews, has been rated as a 4-star player.

• Isiah Jones, a 3-star player, is a Running Back at Rolesville High School in Rolesville.

• Trent Mitchell, a 3-star Offensive Lineman from Ashbrook High School in Gastonia, has received notifications and comments.

• “Jonathan Paylor, a 4-star athlete from Cummings High School in Burlington.”

• Zane Williams, a linebacker from Wake Forest High School in Wake Forest, received a 3-star rating.

UNC signed:

• Khalil Conley, a defensive back from Christ School (Arden), has been awarded a 3-star rating.

• Javarius Green, a wide receiver from Crest High School in Shelby, has been given a 3-star rating.

• Desmond Jackson, an Offensive Lineman from West Forysth High School in Clemmons, has been awarded a 3-star rating.

• Jani Norwood is a three-star Offensive Lineman from Eastern Randolph High School in Ramseur.

• Jordan Shipp, a 4-star wide receiver from Providence Day in Charlotte, is highly regarded.

• Curtis Simpson, a 3-star recruit from Kings Mountain HS (in Kings Mountain), plays as an Outside Linebacker.

• Alex Taylor, a Wide Receiver from Grimsley High School in Greensboro, has been given a 4-star rating.

• Malcolm Ziglar, a 4-star defensive back from Fuquay-Varina High School, has received praise for his skills on the field.

Both universities performed well. It is crucial for the top two collegiate programs in the state to prioritize in-state recruiting.

These are the hyperlinks featured in our Signing Day coverage:

Second Down: Potential Departures of Head Coaches for Larger Universities

This is my compilation of potential head coaches for 1A or 2A schools who may also be suitable for head coaching positions at comparable schools. Some of these names are based on credible sources while others are my own speculation.

• J.K. Adkins, Mount Airy

  • Adkins holds a highly coveted position, as he has won consecutive championships. I am uncertain if he desires to leave Mount Airy for this reason, but it would be unwise for top schools with job openings to not at least discuss potential opportunities with him.

• Andrew Carrouth, North Moore
  • Carrouth has taken the once-lowly North Moore program and turned it into one that has won 10-plus games in each of the last three seasons. While it the scheme would be unconventional for bigger classification schools, he clearly knows how to turn a program around.
• Luke Coleman, Brevard

  • After returning to North Carolina, Coleman was able to bring 2A Brevard’s win total back up to 10 wins during his second season, following his time in Georgia.

• Jammie Deese from Forest Hills

  • Deese brings a wealth of valuable experience from both high school and college levels. He has excelled at Forest Hills. While there have been no indications of him departing, it makes me wonder if Forest Hills has reached its peak potential.

• Ben Ellis, Beddingfield

  • The most recent two head coaches at Beddingfield have moved on to higher level positions. Residents of Wilson praise the up-and-coming Ellis, who led the Bruins to the second round of playoffs after a three-year absence.

• Trent Lowman, East Surry

  • Lowman is an exceptional coach, and it is undeniable that larger schools have shown interest and will likely continue to do so.

• Cory Johnson, Clinton

  • Johnson is predicted to be a highly sought-after candidate during this cycle, having led Clinton to the 2A state championship game. With a 61-12 record since assuming control of the Dark Horses, he is a promising young coach. While Clinton has some returning talent, this may be the opportune year to make a leap forward.

• Kevin Motsinger, Wallace-Rose Hill

  • There are rumors that Motsinger may be pursuing a higher level position, but I have not received confirmation. However, it would be hard for larger schools in the 910 area to not consider him given his expertise and strong leadership skills.

• Chris Powell, Draughn

  • Draughn has been performing exceptionally well at the 1A level recently. It appears that the 2024 class has played a significant role in this success. Powell has been doing an excellent job and may have the opportunity to take advantage of this during the offseason.

• Jackson Smith, North Surry

  • Smith, who is highly regarded by Piedmont coaches, is a young individual. In his second year as leader of the Greyhounds, he played a crucial role in helping North Surry break a streak of missing playoffs. If other schools in the vicinity experience a change in head coaches, Smith may be considered as a potential candidate.

• Clayton Trivett, Salisbury

  • Other schools in the 2A West may benefit from the current sophomore class at Reidsville in the next few years, as Trivett is not the first head coach to depart Salisbury for a larger school.

• LaMonte Williamson, West Columbus
  • West Columbus has never been viewed as a winning program, but Williamson has completely turned things around for the Vikings since he took over in 2019. After finishing 9-4 last year, Williamson just led West Columbus to a 12-2 record and the 1A East regional final.

Possible Rewording: Potential Head Coaches: Assistant Coaches with Potential for Promotion to Head Coach Positions

I have compiled a comprehensive list of assistant coaches who may be suitable candidates for a head coaching position during this offseason. However, there may be others who end up securing positions that I have not included. Keep in mind that there are more than 400 high school football teams in the state, each with at least 10 assistant coaches.

There are speculations that some of these individuals may be considered for positions, while others have been strongly suggested by head coaches. Additionally, a few of these names have previously held head coaching roles, including Steve Brooks, Derek Bryant, Hunter Jenks, Caleb King, and Perry Owens.

• Jonathan Battle, Northwest Guilford OC

• Steve Brooks is the OC for Jacksonville.

• The company, Alan Brothers, is located in Northeastern OC.

• Corey Bryant, Kinston AHC/Head Track Coach
• Derek Bryant, East Forsyth DC
• Dre Cannon, Chambers DC

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• Damon Coiro, Providence Day DC
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  Bryan Craig from A.C. Reynolds DC in Asheville

• Nick Drew, Cardinal Gibbons DC
• Rob Fronk, Apex OC
• Antonio Hall, Dudley OC
• Eric Hall, Seventy-First DC
• John Hall, Weddington DC
• Steven Harris, Scotland OC
• Mike Holderman, Rolesville OC

• OC Chapel Hill’s Ryan Horton

• Ryan Hunt, Clinton DC
• Quinnon Isom, Crest AHC
• Hunter Jenks, Millbrook DC
• James Johnson, Pinecrest DC
• Caleb King, Havelock OC
• Britt Leggett, Marvin Ridge Run Game Coordinator/Offensive Line Coach
• Bill Liedy, Cardinal Gibbons OC

• Donald Littlejohn is the coach for Butler University’s quarterbacks.

• Santana Loudermilk, Northwest Cabarrus DC
• Dominique Midgette, Mallard Creek DC
• Mike Natoli, Hickory OC
• Perry Owens, Holmes QBs
• Drew Piscopo, Ashe County OC
• Adam Puritza, Hoggard OC
• Joe Rigsbee, Grimsley DC
• Seth Sandlin, East Duplin DC
• Brandon Sneed, Mallard Creek OC/OL

• Butler DC, Tripp Stone

• Chachi Sullivan, Hough DC
• /RB

  Jesse Tripp, Offensive Coordinator/Running Back for Grimsley

• Bud Vinson, Kinston DC
• Jake Walker, North Lincoln OL
• Sean Willix, Pinecrest OC
• Garrett Wingate, Ayden-Grifton OC

Source: highschoolot.com