North Carolina’s 2021 recruiting class may be ready to grow by one: Jahvaree Ritzie is set to announce his college decision Friday evening. According to Inside Carolina, the announcement is set for 6:30 p.m.
Ritzie is one of the top players in the state of North Carolina; 247 Sports rates the 6-foot-5 pass rusher as the No. 63 overall prospect in the 2021 class. Ritzie also checks in as the No. 4 prospect in the state of North Carolina and a top five strong-side defensive end. (The 247 composite ranking slots Ritzie as the No. 142 overall prospect.)
A product of Glenn High School in Kernersville, N.C., Ritzie is prep teammates with 4-star linebacker RaRa Dillworth, also a UNC commit.
Georgia, Ohio State, Tennessee and South Carolina are the other finalists; however, Ritzie is considered a North Carolina lean. Defensive line coach Tim Cross and offensive coordinator Phil Longo led the recruitment process for UNC.
North Carolina’s 2021 class remains ranked No. 5 overall in the nation and No. 2 in the ACC, per 247 Sports, just behind Clemson, which has surged recently, too. This continues to be a class that’s set as a historical haul for Mack Brown and North Carolina.
UNC already has commitments from six players ranked as top 12 prospects in the state of North Carolina. Ritzie would become the seventh. Clemson has commitments from two of those top 12 players: Zaire Patterson and Will Shipley.