Scout.com released its updated Scout 300 on Monday, and offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson remains the site's top high school prospect. Two other offensive lineman were rated among the country's top 22 players, including tackle James Hurst of Indiana. In fact, Hurst just might be the most heavily-recruited offensive lineman ever from the Hoosier state, which should put a smile on the face of North Carolina coach Butch Davis. Hurst is one of three verbal commitments for the Tar Heels.
"I ran out of good things to say about James a long time ago," Brian Woodard, Hurst's high school coach in Plainfield, Ind., outside of Indianapolis, told FanHouse.
"It may sound like a broken record, but it's all true. He's a special young man. James is going to be one heck of a college football player."
Hurst, a 6-foot-5, 271-pounder, will join Davis' emerging program next season, along with his brother, tight end Nelson Hurst, who will transfer from Mississippi State. The brothers have a strong football bloodline -- their father, Tim Hurst, played for Bear Bryant at Alabama in the mid-1970s.
More than 25 programs extended scholarship offers to Hurst, who narrowed his final three choices to UNC, Florida and Georgia. Hurst became the Tar Heels' first verbal commitment in April, pointing to factors that included his connection with UNC offensive line coach Sam Pittman, the team's pro-style offense and the program's reemergence under Davis.
UNC received more good news Monday when Russell Bodine of Fork Union (Va.) Military Academy became the second offensive lineman to verbally commit to the Tar Heels. Linebacker Ty Linton, of Charlotte, N.C., also had previously committed to UNC, which featured a top-10 recruiting class this past year under Davis.
After Mack Brown's departure in 1997, the Tar Heels floundered for the next nine seasons. Carl Torbush (1998-00) and John Bunting (2001-06) went a combined 44-63 before UNC finally found its man in Davis. After a 4-8 season in 2007, Davis had the Tar Heels contending in the Atlantic Coast Conference Coastal Division last year. UNC finished 8-5, its best season since 2001.
Davis also knows a little something about rebuilding programs. He took over a Miami Hurricanes program in 1995 that was ravaged with scholarship losses due to violations. By 2000, the Hurricanes were a top-five team nationally.
"I went on a bunch of visits, but the big three for me were North Carolina, Florida, and Georgia," Hurst told Scout.com. "I went to those three schools and we let it settle I guess for a couple weeks. It was easy for me to see where I fit in the best and where I wanted to be.
"I said I wanted to wait until August, but this was the best for me to have it out of the way and everything."
Woodard wasn't surprised by Hurst's decision to pull the trigger early on the Tar Heels. February's National Signing Day is still nine months away, and verbal commitments are non-binding under NCAA rules. Woodard pointed to Hurst's discipline on the field and in the classroom. Hurst has earned academic honors (4.1 grade-point average) and plans to graduate in December and enroll early at UNC.
"James is really a sharp guy, just a neat kid," said Woodard, whose team went 9-3 last season and made the sectional finals.
"He's a very good athlete with incredible speed for his size and frame. He plays low and is physical, but probably his greatest asset is that he's so sharp. He understands concepts and schemes that the average player does not understand. He's as good as anybody out there."
Rivals.com recruiting analyst Greg Ladky agrees.
"James Hurst is just so good at tackle," Ladky said.
"He is great in pass protection, and he will put defenders into the ground run blocking. While Seantrel Henderson has the most upside at tackle, I think Hurst is the surest thing at the offensive tackle spot. Given how important left tackles are, Hurst is Indiana's most valuable prospect."
Added Woodard: "James is one of those kids who, no matter what he does in life, he will be successful because he has that kind of work ethic and discipline."
The top five prospects ranked nationally by Rivals.com are Henderson (Saint Paul, Minn.), running back Lache Seastrunk (Temple, Texas), receiver Darius White (Fort Worth, Texas) running back Marcus Lattimore (Duncan, S.C.) and athlete Matt Elam (Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.). Hurst is ranked seventh.
Scout.com's top five are Henderson, Lattimore, linebacker Justin McCay (Shawnee Mission, Kan.), linebacker Jeff Luc (Treasure Coast, Fla.) and offensive lineman Andrew Norwell (Cincinnati). Hurst is ranked 22nd.
Elam (Florida) and Norwell (Ohio State) are the lone players among the top-five on each site that have committed to schools.
