ESPN College Football Recruiting

Originally Published: May 7, 2009

Brotherly love leads Hurst to UNC

UA All-American lineman James Hurst is excited to join his brother at North Carolina

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By JC Shurburtt
Scouts Inc.

His high school coach knew it when he saw Under Armour All-American offensive lineman James Hurst (Plainfield, Ind.) at an eighth-grade camp: This kid has the ability to be a standout on the gridiron all four years of his high school career.

Brian Woodard was correct.

The 6-foot-6, 284-pounder stepped in as a freshman the following season. He has not come out of the starting lineup since.

"That first year, he started at our 'quick tackle' position, which is on the weak side," Woodard said. "I did not notice him that much that year, which means he did a very good job."

That season, Plainfield went 11-1. Woodard called it one of the "best seasons in 25 years" at the school.

Hurst reflected on the start of his career.

"I stopped playing basketball and wanted to start my freshman year," he said. "And I did. At that point, my coaches told me I really might have a future in this, so I started going to some camps, and everything took off from there."

As much as that first season served as a launching pad, Hurst's final season could end with his being considered one of the top offensive line prospects in the country -- if he has a strong showing in Orlando, Fla., at the 2010 Under Armour All-American game.

"I am excited to play in the Under Armour game because I have never had the chance to play against that level of competition before," Hurst said. He looks forward to seeing how he stacks up against the best players in the country, particularly players from top talent-producing states like California, Texas and Florida.

Hurst will join Butch Davis' emerging program at North Carolina next season, along with his brother, tight end Nelson Hurst, who will transfer from Mississippi State.

"I think it's awesome," James Hurst said. "[Nelson's transfer] did not impact my decision to commit to North Carolina at all, but it will be great to play with him again. He will have to sit out this coming season but will be ready to go when I get there."

The brothers won't be the first members of their family to play major college football. Father Tim Hurst played for Bear Bryant at Alabama in the mid-1970s. The family's relationship with former Mississippi State head coach Sylvester Croom was a major reason Nelson went to Starkville to begin with.

So with the family ties to the SEC, why the ACC? Why the Tar Heels? It's definitely still the South, but known more for its powerhouse men's basketball program than football.

"We went to see some of those SEC schools, and they were great, too," Hurst said. "But North Carolina is where I wanted to be."

In fairness, even with their success on the hardwood, the Tar Heels have been a player in football before, even during the past 20 years. Texas coach Mack Brown won 20 of his final 23 games in Chapel Hill in 1996-97. Also, any school that can boast the likes of Charlie "Choo-Choo" Justice, Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers among its former players has some sense of tradition. Under Davis, the program has won some national recruiting battles (Marvin Austin in the Class of 2007 comes to mind) and collected a lot of young talent. It's a program on the rise.

North Carolina also puts tremendous resources behind football, as it does with most of its sports. The Heels have some of the best facilities in the ACC.

"[North Carolina] surprised me when I first visited the campus," Hurst said. "Everything about the campus was just really nice. I loved the coaches."

Hurst has developed a solid relationship with UNC offensive line coach Sam Pittman.

"James and Coach Pittman made a connection," Woodard said. "He made a great impression on James and his family, and it just seemed like a natural fit."

Hurst added, "He's a great guy. We have a great relationship. He cares about me off the field as much as on it. It will be good to have someone to talk to when I get to school there if something comes up."

Woodard believes the Heels got a player with many great attributes.

"The thing that stands out most about James is how athletic he is for a big guy," he said. "Also, how intelligent he is. He's a smart kid that's ranked No. 8 in his class or so. He understands certain concepts and certain schemes that the average player does not understand."

JC Shurburtt covers recruiting for ESPN.com. He can be reached at jcsespn@aol.com.