Ted was in the right place to catch this pic of Willie Parker at the Utah game on Saturday. With all the recent media attention toward Willie's lack of playing time at Carolina, it was great to see him on the Tar Heel sideline.

Ted checks in with a nice piece about how recruiting gurus can't predict the future. Thanks for the insight, Ted!

Beyond the Stars

When evaluating recruiting classes, many people get caught gazing at the “stars”.  However, like many things these “stars” can be deceiving. Several players on the Tar Heel’s current roster from the class of 2002 are prime examples of why star ratings do not always accurately predict the future success of a player.

On the defensive side of the ball, several former one and two star recruits stand out. One of the cornerstones of Carolina’s secondary is Cedrick Holt. Holt is a former two star recruit from Wadesboro, North Carolina who had offers from only North Carolina, East Carolina, and Wake Forest. Currently, he stands third on the team in tackles with 23 and also has 1 interception. More valuable perhaps is his ability to cover the opposing team’s number two and sometimes number one receiver. In addition to Holt, Mahlon Carey is a former two star recruit from Austell, Georgia. Carey began his career at Carolina as a halfback, but transitioned over to defense as a sophomore. On the season, he is fifth on the team with 19 tackles and more importantly brings a physical presence to the secondary.

The most important player on Carolina’s defense is team captain and defensive signal caller Tommy Richardson. Richardson is a former one star recruit out of Miami, Florida. A former safety, Richardson has fit in nicely as linebacker and currently leads the team with 36 tackles.

The Tar Heel’s starter at defensive end was also once a relatively unheralded recruit. Brian Rackley was rated a one star and received only an offer from Cincinnati besides his North Carolina one. Currently, he anchors one side of the defensive line and boasts 7 tackles and 1 sack on the season.

These players are prime examples of how “diamonds in the ruff” do exist and how star ratings do not always make the player. One can look more recently to the Tar Heel’s 2005 recruiting class and see Garrett White, Garrett Reynolds, E.J. Wilson, Brandon Tate, and Nick Starcevic, all three star recruits who have played this year as true freshmen for the Tar Heels.