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Enter head coach Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels into the heat of 10-horse race for prized 6-foot-1, 180-pound 2024 Aiken (SC) Rivals 3-star WR Braylon Staley, the No. 2 player at his position and No. 6 overall athlete in the state of South Carolina.

On March 18, Staley announced a final Top 10 cut list including the Tar Heels, Alabama, Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Miami, Penn State, and Tennessee.

With a nasty list of competitors going to war with UNC for Staley’s services, including all-time great Nick Saban and the blueblood Alabama Crimson Tide, defending back-to-back national champion Georgia, and others, there’s no telling where Braylon may end up signing the dotted line for his National Letter of Intent (NLI). But one thing is for sure: Staley loves what he’s been hearing from the state’s flagship institution in Chapel Hill lately.

Let’s break it down.

Staley told THI that since the legendary Brown offered him on Nov. 25, he’s been keeping up with UNC on nearly a daily basis.

Staley earned the offer during his first unofficial visit to the Tar Heels’ rivalry clash versus NC State, and after many hours of hard work from the Heels’ staff, the pass-catcher will take his official visit to Chapel Hill in June.

“I’m going to check it out then and see what type of fit it is,” he said.

“Ever since I got my offer, I’ve been in touch with (North Carolina) every day.”

His main point of contact is would-be position coach Lonnie Galloway.

“He’s a straight-up guy,” Staley said. “I talk to (Galloway) (approximately) two times per week. We chat a lot. We talk about football, but mostly, we talk about education and other (subjects) like that.”

The two-sport star also excels at the triple jump, 100-meter, and 200-meter dash on the track and field circuit (with a personal record of 48 feet, 5 inches, 11.12 seconds for the 100, and 21.88 seconds for the 200), and tapping into his second passion has been part of North Carolina’s recruitment strategy of the smalltown athlete hailing from the Palmetto State, the Tar Heels sending him several graphics wishing him well during his spring offseason from football.

Staley sees himself fitting in well with a spread-style attack that finished No. 3 in the ACC and No. 26 in the NCAA in 2022 behind the dynamic duo of rising redshirt sophomore and North Carolina native son Drake Maye (4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns, and 7 interceptions) and Phil Longo, who left his post to take on the same role at Wisconsin.

Despite the loss of Longo, the Heels are pressing forward using the same approach with some minor tweaks by new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

With the return of Heisman Trophy hopeful Maye to go with Lindsey, who was head coach at Troy for three seasons before spending last fall at Central Florida.

“They like to run a 4-wide set out of the spread,” Staley said. “(That) would definitely fit me, I could definitely see myself in it. Playing that position and seeing how much they throw the ball, it’s really a wide receiver’s dream. Anytime you see that many balls thrown to (wide receivers), (North Carolina) is a school that you seek out (as a prospect).”

Staley said that Galloway sees utilizing him in multiple spots running both inside and outside routes if he were to sign with the Tar Heels.

“A lot of deep balls, crossing routes, and some screens that kind of work in their offense. That’s where (they) would see me,” he said.

The receiver hasn’t yet been able to experience the unique culture and identity that has been established by Brown, but Staley said he already has somewhat of a feel for what that looks like and that he couldn’t wait to learn more during his next visit this summer.

“It just seems like they have a rich culture over there,” he said. “There are great players coming in there and heading out to the league.”

The world-class academics and beautiful campus offered in Chapel Hill are also playing a factor in Staley’s recruitment, along with the Tar Heels’ legendary head coach.

“It’s a nice campus,” he said. “When I get there for that official visit in June, I’ll definitely be able to dig down a little deeper and check everything out.”

North Carolina also offers Braylon’s preferred major, sports management.

“(Academics) is another plus for UNC, especially if I can come out of there with a four-year degree on it. That UNC tag and symbol there kind of holds some weight to it,” Staley said.

On Brown, Braylon’s words were simple yet powerful: “I love him. He’s a cool person, straight up.”

On the kind of player the Tar Heels would be getting if Staley wound up at UNC: “On the field, you’re going to get an animal. I feel like as far as my skill set, I’m a great route runner and I have great hands. A 50-50 ball belongs to me,” Staley replied when asked to give a personal scouting report.

On the intangibles Braylon would bring to the locker room and the community, Staley said this: “I feel like I can definitely bring 100% to the team, especially in the locker room. I’m a guy that’s always smiling. I don’t like to be in frustrating situations. I’m a team guy, and I’m not a selfish player. I always want the locker room to be great. Off the field, you’re going to get a guy who loves the Lord and respects their elders.”