UNC staff gets three commitments

New University of North Carolina football coach Larry Fedora and his staff have picked up three commitments from high school football players, including one who had committed to Fedora when he was the head coach at Southern Miss and another who had committed to East Carolina.

Quarterback Kanler Coker of Flowery Branch, Ga., (6-foot-4, 205 pounds) had committed to the Pirates in December after passing for 2,833 yards and 31 touchdowns and rushing for 837 yards and another 15 touchdowns.

Offensive lineman Caleb Patterson of Auburn, Ala. (6-4, 295) had committed to Southern Miss when Fedora was the head coach there. The Tar Heels also received a commitment from defensive back Clinton Heaven of Bradenton (Fla.) Manatee (6-0, 192).

“Kanler only played for us one season,” said Flowery Branch coach Chris Griffin. “He had been a school that was run-oriented and enrolled here last spring and began learning the offense.  I’ve never seen anyone make a smoother transition.”

Griffin said Coker is a tremendous athlete who is hungry to excel.

“Week by week, he kept getting better and better,” Griffin said. “He ended up being one of the best quarterbacks we’ve ever had and we’ve got one (University of South Carolina’s Connor Shaw) starting in the SEC now.

“My offensive coordinator swears that Kanler is going to end up playing in the NFL. I think North Carolina is getting a steal. I think any major program in the country can develop him into an exceptional quarterback.”

Griffin said Coker was excited about the possibility of playing at East Carolina, which was the first school to offer him a scholarship.

“He was really enthused about going there,” Griffin said. “But when this thing opened up at North Carolina, he thought it was just too good to pass up.”

Patterson’s brother played for Fedora at Southern Miss and Caleb had looked forward to playing for Fedora because the coach changed jobs.

Auburn High coach Mike Carter said Patterson had offers from half of the teams in the Southeasteern Conference, plus Stanford and Georgia Tech. “He had 20 or more offers,” Carter said.

Patterson played in the Alabama-Mississippi all-star game and Carter projects him as an interior offensive lineman in Chapel Hill.

“He has an awful lot of confidence in Coach Fedora and I think he and his family were impressed by the facilities at North Carolina,” Carter said.

The commitments are not binding of the players or the schools.  Players may sign binding national letters of intent beginning on Feb. 1.