Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney is very familiar with North Carolina true freshman quarterback Sam Howell, having recruited Howell when he was a star at Sun Valley High School in Monroe, North Carolina.
Howell, who was a highly touted prospect in the 2019 recruiting class, received a scholarship offer from the Tigers in January 2018, visited Clemson several times during the recruiting process and seriously considered Swinney’s program.
However, Howell committed to Florida State in April 2018 before eventually flipping his commitment to UNC on Dec. 19, 2018, the first day of the early signing period.
Mack Brown made a big push for Howell after being re-hired as UNC’s head coach in late November of last year, and Howell marked Brown’s first major recruiting victory in his second stint with the Tar Heels.