Rivals national recruiting analyst Adam Friedman has thoughts on changes at Clemson, the future at North Carolina and potential standouts in the 2025 class.
1. REMEMBER ME?
Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney made a big move this offseason by bringing Matt Luke out of retirement to coach the offensive line for the Tigers. Luke’s track record is awfully impressive, having built Georgia‘s offensive line into a unit of strength for its back-to-back national title teams. He’s also helped recruit five-star offensive linemen such as Greg Little, Laremy Tunsil, Amarius Mims, and Broderick Jones during his time at Ole Miss and then at Georgia.
Luke made an immediate impression at Clemson, and the Tigers are already feeling the impact. Before Clemson’s elite junior day weekend was out, Luke had landed commitments from Rivals250 prospect Brayden Jacobs and four-star offensive lineman Jaylan Beckley. Luke has also elevated the Tigers in the recruitment of offensive tackle and No. 1 overall prospect David Sanders Jr.
In the past, Clemson has not been one of the more feared recruiting powerhouses when it came to offensive lineman. Luke has already changed that narrative after just a few weeks on the job.
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2. WHAT HAPPENS AT NORTH CAROLINA WHEN MACK BROWN RETIRES?
Undoubtedly, the story of the offseason is the retirement of Alabama head coach Nick Saban. At the time of his abrupt announcement, the 72-year-old Saban was one of the two oldest head coaches in college football. The other? Mack Brown.
Brown, also age 72, brought a new level of excitement to the North Carolina Tar Heels when he was announced to be returning as their head coach prior to the 2019 season. With Brown running the show, North Carolina put together a trio of top-20 recruiting classes from 2020-22, something that had never been done there, and went to the ACC title game following the 2022 season, only the second time that had happened.
But, amazingly, Brown’s Tar Heels have yet to reach the 10-win threshold. In fact, North Carolina has only posted one 10-win season in 26 years.
So what will become of North Carolina when Brown eventually steps down? Who will eventually replace him and how much better can he be expected to do? These are scary questions for a program with so much potential but they’ll have to come up with some answers soon.
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3. UP-AND-COMERS I CAN’T WAIT TO SEE THIS OFFSEASON
The headliners in the East such as David Sanders Jr., Faheem Delane, Blake Woodby, Zahir Mathis and Bryce Davis are of course players I want to check in on in the coming months but there are up-and-comers in the 2025 class who look pretty exciting prospects on film.
Olesh doesn’t come across great competition during the season but the 6-foot-5, 209-pound tight end prospect has been clocked running a 4.6-second 40 and a 4.2-second 5-10-5 shuttle in the past.
He’s also been very productive, hauling in 53 catches for 972 yards and 10 touchdowns this past season. Despite his lean frame, there is a lot to like about Olesh on film and he could see his stock rise depending on how things go this spring.
At powerhouse Imhotep Institute Charter School, Locks has lined up across from plenty of Power Five prospects but next year he’ll be their top cornerback and will draw the toughest matchups.
The nearly 6-foot-1 cornerback has shown great footwork in the past and has the speed to stay with even the quickest receivers. Locks knows how to play physically, too.
Basketball players who transition to the football field are always intriguing. Hines, who is currently averaging 14.3 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.4 blocks per game on the basketball court, has a skill set that could easily translate to the football field.
His 6-foot-8, 230-pound frame and reliable hands make him an extremely difficult matchup for defenders. Hines didn’t have a prolific junior season, reeling in 15 catches for 227 yards and three touchdowns, but he has the tools that college coaches love.
Goodman has experience against very solid competition and possesses the physical measurables college coaches are looking for. He plays with aggressiveness and is quick at the snap. Goodman’s technique has come a long way over the last couple years and he seems to have kept the bad weight to a minimum.
West has generated a lot of buzz in recent months and his offseason is off to a good start. His physical tools are in line with what college coaches at the Power Five level want.
He has displayed a good nose for the ball and can be a playmaker when he does get the ball in his hands. Last season West picked off three passes and took one of them back for a touchdown.
