As part of the American Football Coaches Association Board of Directors that proposed the addition of an early signing period in 2017, Mack Brown hadn't experienced the effects of the rule change he helped create.
But after becoming North Carolina's head coach in late November, the early signing period was expected to be one of the stiffest challenges he'd face.
Only 22 days stood between Brown's hiring and the early signing period, which began Wednesday. Still, that didn't prevent him and the rest of his coaching staff from signing an 18-member recruiting class that started Wednesday morning ranked 51st in the country and finished the day 37th, according to 247Sports.