Brian Cobbs has some interesting connections to North Carolina’s football program.
A junior wide receiver from Hayfield High School in Alexandria, VA, the 2-star prospect, who may soon be a 3-star given his performance and how recruiting is picking up, Cobbs plays for former UNC quarterback Caleb Henderson’s father, Eric.
Even though Henderson transferred to Maryland last month, that connection hasn’t dissipated. It’s still something Cobbs can use to his advantage considering his interest in the Tar Heels.
“Yes, it helps a lot. He (Coach Henderson) always keeps them updated with my stats and highlights and is always in contact with coach (Coach John) Papuchis about me,” Cobbs told THI. “(Henderson) is the key to a lot of my recruiting.”
Cobbs was back in Chapel Hill for the JMU game taking in the Tar Heels’ 28-point victory. He camped a day at UNC in June and also was on the winning team in the 7-on-7 tournament at Carolina in June, as well. The 6-3, 195 pounder doesn’t hide his interest in UNC.
“Facilities are as top notch as they get, and the team looks super clean in any gear they come out with thanks to their huge Nike contract,” Cobbs said. “I could easily see myself rocking the Carolina blue on Saturdays.”
Cobbs has a pretty good understanding of what a quality football program is supposed to be like. His father, Duffy Cobbs, was a defensive back on Penn State’s two national championship teams in the 1980s and also for the New England Patriots.
UNC has so much of what Cobbs wants in a program, so now it’s a matter of the relationship strengthening. And it appears that’s happening.
“I spoke with coach (Gunter) Brewer and coach Papuchis throughout the visit and just talked to them about how the season was going so far,” he said. “I feel like they are very pleased with the start of my junior season so far.”
Cobbs says contact from UNC has significantly increased, but the Tar Heels aren’t the only ones regularly reaching out. Virginia and Florida State have also shown increased interest of late. Penn State, Maryland, James Madison and Villanova have been on him for a while, among others, but it’s pretty obvious Cobbs is now a solid Power 5 prospect.
Yet, things keep coming back to UNC for Cobbs, who has another interesting connection to the program: He trained for a while this past summer with current Tar Heels’ wide receiver Mack Hollins, who is also from the metropolitan Washington, D.C., area.
Hollins’ back story as an invited walk-on and now an All-ACC player with a possible NFL future clearly intrigues Cobbs. It has also motivated him.
“I heard his story and automatically wanted to work like he does,” Cobbs said, before discussing what he learned from Hollins. “He basically just broke down all the different moves I can make when running routes, which makes it really easy in games because can make so many routes look different each time.
“He also taught me how to control my speed when running routes so that I can get in and out of my cuts quicker and more efficient while having the DB think I’m running fast so that when I do decide to cut , he'll be out of control and fly right past.”
Cobbs has also played quarterback on offense as well as safety and cornerback on defense. He’s caught 22 passes for 323 yards and a few touchdowns, has an 85-yard kickoff returned for a score, and has picked off a pair of passes.
Maryland, Temple, Virginia, and Penn State are getting visits soon from Cobbs, among others, and perhaps he will take another trip to Chapel Hill to see the Tar Heels play again.
