UNC, N.C. State Add to 2009 Football Class

Brian Slay found the sincerity he was looking for in Raleigh, while Jared McAdoo realized there’s no place like home.

Those factors led both the junior defensive linemen to make oral commitments to N.C. State and North Carolina this week.

Slay, a 6-foot-3, 255-pounder from Ashburn, Va., became the first player to join the Wolfpack’s recruiting Class of 2009 after visiting the Raleigh campus last weekend.

“I think he really liked the straight honesty and the way (N.C. State defensive line) Coach (Keith) Willis approached this,’’ said Mickey Thompson, Slay’s head coach at Stone Bridge High School. “You know in the recruiting process you’ve got a lot of people telling you this and that. He just wanted to go where somebody had been straightforward with him.’’

N.C. State was the first school to offer Slay a scholarship, but he was receiving serious interest from Southeastern Conference programs like Auburn, Georgia and Georgia Tech, according to Thompson.

Slay was probably more well-known to the SEC recruiters prior to last season because he began his prep career at Harrison High School in Kennesaw, Ga. He was an all-district, all-region and second-team all-state selection as a sophomore at Harrison after making 88 tackles and 10 sacks.

But Slay’s father changed jobs after the 2006 season and the family moved to Ashburn where he immediately became a key performer in Stone Bridge’s tradition-rich program.

“We’ve really had a weakness up front on defense over the years,’’ Thompson said. “But he came in and took care of one side of the football. Nobody could run or throw to his side.

“I don’t think we’ve had many guys in our program with his size and athleticism.’’

Slay produced 65 tackles and six sacks for a 13-1 team that won the state AAA division 5 championship.

The Tar Heels snared their eighth oral commitment for 2009 from their own backyard.

McAdoo, a 6-4, 275-pounder, plays at Chapel Hill High School where he has been a varsity starter the last two-and-a-half years.

Chapel Hill head coach Issac Marsh said he first saw McAdoo on the basketball court at a local middle school.

“I talked to him about coming out for football to see if he liked it,’’ Marsh said. “I could see he had the size and agility to play football.

“But what I found out later once we got him on the field was how relentless he is. He doesn’t quit. He’s constantly pursuing. He doesn’t take plays off. That is what stood out about him to the college coaches.’’

McAdoo had six other scholarship offers in addition to UNC. They came from East Carolina, Maryland, N.C. State, South Carolina, Virginia and Wake Forest.

Marsh said he was “surprised’’ that McAdoo made his college decision so early, despite the fact both his parents attended UNC.

“I thought he’d wait because it’s (recruiting) probably only going to get more intense for him,’’ Marsh said. “I think he’s solidly committed, but I strongly believe he’ll still visit some other places just to see what they have to offer.’’

Led by McAdoo, the Tigers enjoyed a successful 2007 season in which they advanced to the third round of the state 4-A playoffs. McAdoo earned All-Pac-Six Conference honors after making 59 tackles and 13 sacks.

The Tar Heels have recruited McAdoo as a defensive tackle, according to Marsh.

“I’ve talked with his mother and his doctor and project him to grow to about 6-5 or 6-6,’’ Marsh said. “So he’s going to get bigger and stronger.’’

It has been interesting to watch UNC’s early surge in recruiting. More than half of the players the Tar Heels signed last month for 2008 didn’t commit until January.

But sources are telling us UNC coach Butch Davis and his staff would like to have the majority of the 2009 class committed by November or December this time around.