Ross Continues Jax Link

If you thought UNC's run of recruiting success in Jacksonville was coming to a close, think again. Dominique Ross had something to say about that this week.

Ross, one of Jacksonville's top rising seniors, gave North Carolina a major commitment on Monday. The nation's No. 47-ranked outside linebacker attends Trinity Christian in Jacksonville so he will join the likes of William Sweet and Andre Smith as young Jacksonville players in the program when he moves up to Chapel Hill next year, assuming his commitment holds.

There are good reasons to believe that commitment will hold. One of those reasons is his relationship with Smith, a freshman linebacker at UNC this year who attended Trinity Christian until recently. As Ross' former teammate the information Smith gave him about North Carolina, and the advice he gave in general, was valuable. That's an understatement.

"Andre played a role by giving me tips on picking the best college for me," Ross said. "But he didn't tell me to pick UNC or that I needed to go there."

Maybe Smith didn't even need to say that. He's trusted enough that his choice probably carried weight itself. And it's worth noting that when the very charismatic William Sweet spoke to the many recruits that he did in the last recruiting cycle he took much the same approach. It was some variation of, "Don't just go with the biggest name. Pick the best school for you. And here's why UNC was the best school for me."

Ross visited North Carolina and camped with the Tar Heels recently. That trip and that time with the coaches confirmed the good things that Ross had heard about the school from others. And that was all he needed to see. No drama, no dragging it out, just a choice that felt right and made sense.

Charlton Warren is recruiting Jacksonville for North Carolina and he's tasked with the chore of continuing the Heels' pipeline to the city. It's a pipeline that has been given a lot of play by recruiting media and one that THI examined earlier this year, finding that the perception didn't always match reality in terms of its significance.

The point is, Warren's win with Ross is a major statement that North Carolina's presence may be growing outside of Atlanta, into other parts of Georgia and the Deep South, and elsewhere, but that doesn't mean their presence is declining in America's largest city by area. Ross' commitment probably means that yet more Jacksonville-area players from the 2016, 2017 and 2018 classes will give the Heels a strong look. And it grows Warren's own stature as a recruiter in the city.

"I believe Gene Chizik should definitely be able to go turn the defense around in the right direction," Ross said in a tip of the hat to the significance of the new coaching hires made by Larry Fedora. "And Coach J.P. (John Papuchis) has a lot to offer as a linebacker coach.

"I felt like I was made to play well in Chizik's defense. The coaches made me feel comfortable. And most of all the education is world class," the obviously-thoughtful Ross said. "The coaches like my ability to pass rush and my athleticism and my coverage skills.

Sources close to the UNC program informed THI that Ross actually measured heavier than his listed 198 pounds on his Rivals.com profile, which reflected his weight from a camp earlier this year. That's a very good sign because the weight is reportedly good weight, putting him closer to where he needs to be going into the ACC.

Ross could have played in any conference he wanted to. Many believed that UCLA and Virginia Tech were among his other top choices but he also had offers from essentially the entire ACC and SEC and not to mention most of the Big Ten's biggest names, plus schools up and down the west coast.

The commitments of Ross and Hopper at linebacker drastically change the long-term forecast at the position for the Heels. But Ross is out to prove that his versatility is such a part of his game that he shouldn't be thought of exclusively as a linebacker. While acknowledging that's probably where his future will be at on the field Ross wants to prove he can play other positions in the back seven.

"And later on through this process they'll see my ability to play safety and DB," the confident prospect said. "Those were the positions I grew up playing.

"UNC is recruiting me at linebacker but I can play safety and a little cornerback. But I want to play linebacker for UNC. I just want to fully express my skill set," he said.

He'll get that chance. In fact, it's something he's already doing quite well.