When Mack Brown was named as the head football coach at North Carolina, he vowed to recruit the home state as much as he did when he was in Chapel Hill earlier in his career. North Carolina is a long state from the mountains to the coast and has produced an enormous amount of talented football players over the years.

One area that UNC has not recruited well in is the western part of the state. With schools like Tennessee and Clemson closer to those prospects, they’ve have done really well there snatching up many of the state’s better prospects from that region.

Brown and the Tar Heels’ staff recently offered an up-and-coming sophomore offensive linemen from one of the top high school programs in the area in Yousef Mugharbil, a 6-foot-5 300-pounder from Murphy High School.

Mugharbil was a key lineman that helped the Bulldogs to a state 1A championship. The class of 2021 prospect also has offers from Duke, NC State, Illinois, Tennessee and Virginia Tech.

THI caught up with Mugharbil to get the latest on his recruitment.

THI: What are your thoughts on getting an offer from UNC?

Mugharbil: “I feel very fortunate to receive an offer from a school that’s very highly looked upon and also in my home state.”

THI: What are some things you like about UNC from your visit?

Mugharbil: “I liked the facility and I also really liked the campus. I did get to meet with the staff. They were very nice and all of the coaches showed support.”

THI: Have they said what offensive line position they are recruiting you for?

Mugharbil: “Not directly. I just know it’s offensive line. I talk to (offensive line) coach (Stacy) Searels a lot.”

THI: What do you think about Searels as your continue building a relationship with him?

Mugharbil: “I think he is a very good coach with a lot of experience, and I think he can really connect with his players.”

Mugharbil is unsure of his camp plans at this time.