North Carolina had a lot of interest in big-time punter Ben Kiernan before Mack Brown was hired and also after Brown returned to Chapel Hill.

But it wasn’t until the Hall of Fame coach had time to roll up his sleeves and survey the recruiting landscape when Kiernan was offered by the Tar Heels. And then things moved quickly for Kiernan, a native of Ireland with dual citizenship.

“They have always communicated with me a lot and after (Larry) Fedora was gone,” Kiernan told THI. “Coach (Jason) Tundryn called me and told me that nothing had changed recruiting wise with me and he kept up with talking to me and my dad. And then about a week after Coach Brown was hired, Coach Tundryn called my Dad and told him that I have a full ride.”

Needless to say, that was a big moment for Kiernan, whose only other offer came from Nebraska last month. He also has a preferred walk-on offer from Penn State.

“I was speechless,” he said. “And once I heard, I was smiling a lot. This is something that I’ve always wanted to do and ever since my first visit at UNC, I felt at home.”

At 6-0 and 205 pounds, the standout from Wakefield High School in Raleigh, NC, had an outstanding senior season, averaging 45.8 yards on 39 punts with more than half settling inside the 20-yard-line. Kiernan has trained with nationally renowned kicking and long snapping specialist.

An analysis of Kiernan on ChrisSailerKicking.com offers high praise:

“Ben is a fantastic punting and kicking talent. A great looking athlete with an explosive leg. He is a big time D1 punting prospect. He averages 43+ yards with 4.6+ hang time and also shows the ability to hit a huge ball.”

Sailer ranks Kiernan the No. 12 punter in the nation.

Now, Kiernan didn’t grow up a UNC fan, but that’s in part because he didn’t grow up in the United States. Born in Dublin, Ireland, he followed another somewhat similar sport.

But when Kiernan came to Raleigh and started checking out Carolina, he felt a connection to the school and the sport that’s taking him there.

“I grew up playing rugby and when I moved to (North Carolina) in 2014, I was just starting to pay attention to football and I loved UNC’s campus and the atmosphere there,” he said.

Interestingly, there’s a UNC connection to why Kiernan and his family are in the Research Triangle area. They had a serious need, and found what they were looking for.

“It (moving to the States) was a lot to do with my little sister, who has cerebral palsy,” Kiernan explained. “And North Carolina had a lot of programs going on at UNC and Duke which would help her get better and also the amount of job opportunities and different colleges to go to.”

A rugby player for 15 years, including representing North Carolina in some national tournaments, Kiernan stopped playing a year ago so he could avoid injuries and to focus on football, though he has a rugby scholarship offer from Queens University in Charlotte.

Kiernan, who has dual citizenship in Ireland and the U.S., will sign his letter of intent on Dec. 19 while visiting family in Ireland. He will enroll at UNC next summer.

2018 Vegas XXXI Class of 2019 Punt Champion 2018 Vegas XXXI Punt Finalist 2018 TOP 12 Camp Invitee 2018 Vegas XXXII Punt Finalist