CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Larry Fedora, above, spoke with a sense of pride earlier today about the Tar Heels’ 23-man recruiting class. It’s a class that perhaps turned out about as well as could be expected, given Fedora and his staff had about a month to put it together – and given that the NCAA has yet to rule on the impermissible benefits and academic fraud scandals that rocked the UNC football program in 2010.

Still, despite the challenges, the Tar Heels closed strongly. Quinshad Davis, whom Rivals.com ranks as the No. 34 receiver in the country – and the second-best prospect overall in South Carolina – signed with UNC on Wednesday. So, too, did James Summers, the Greensboro Page High quarterback who last week switched his commitment from N.C. State. 

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina coach Larry Fedora and his staff haven’t had long to recruit since arriving here in late December and early January. The limited amount of time since the coaching transition made recruiting difficult, as did the looming NCAA sanctions – whatever they might be – that rival schools undoubtedly used against the Tar Heels on the recruiting trail.

At last, though National Signing Day has arrived. UNC this morning has announced each signee once he has faxed in his signed national letter of intent. (And by the way – is National Signing Day now the only day of the year when the fax machines are relevant?) Here’s the official list of signees, which we’ll update throughout the morning:

CHAPEL HILL — Football coach Larry Fedora didn’t begin work at North Carolina until late December, so it would have been difficult enough for him and his new staff of assistant coaches to formulate a recruiting plan and then execute it.

But the process has been more difficult given that Fedora and his staff have had to recruit while they wait for the NCAA to rule on the impermissible benefits and academic fraud cases that for the past year and a half have hung over the UNC football program.

CHAPEL HILL — Former North Carolina running back Randy Jordan is returning to the school to coach the Tar Heels’ running backs, the university announced on Friday.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina offensive guard Jonathan Cooper on Wednesday underwent left shoulder surgery to alleviate the chronic inflammation from which he suffered throughout the 2011 season, the university announced on Friday.

CHAPEL HILL — Casey Barth, who played in three games before aggravating a groin injury and missing the rest of the season, has been granted an additional year of eligibility and will be able to play for North Carolina in 2012.

CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina quarterback Braden Hanson is transferring from the university and will play his final season at the University of North Dakota, a UNC football team spokesman said on Monday.

Hanson graduated from UNC in December and he will be eligible to play immediately at North Dakota, an FCS school.

CHAPEL HILL — Three North Carolina-related things to think about on this gray morning from Chapel Hill: 

Three North Carolina-related things to think about on this cold Wednesday morning – and we’ll call this one the comments-from-coaches edition. In other words, the three most interesting things overheard yesterday when UNC coach Larry Fedora introduced his new coaching staff – well, most of his coaching staff, anyway:

And Happy New Year. Welcome to a belated Tuesday edition of the daily three.

Without further delay, three things to think about on this third day of 2012: