Tar Heels may be after First Assembly’s Stegall, Miller

I did a blog last week on Concord First Assembly DT Ainsley Miller, one in which First Assembly coach Mike Minter—yeah, the ex-Panther—called Miller “easily the best defensive tackle in the state.”

“Not long after that, I got a call from a North Carolina assistant coach,” Miller said with a laugh today. “They wanted to know if he was really that good and wanted film on him. Said they could use a DT like that.

Then (UNC associate head coach) John Blake called to talk about Miller, and I asked him if they could use a safety as well. He said yes, maybe two or three. So I told him I would put my safety, Brandon Stegall, one-on-one on their wide receiver recruit (Tehvyn Brantley of Durham Mt. Zion), just to show them what he could do.”

Brantley, by the way, hasn’t given his final commitment quite yet to UNC.

But back to the game, and the bottom line? Brantley had no receptions. And Stegall stopped him cold while starting on offense as well as defense, also playing quarterback and rushing for 100 yards.

“Now Carolina wants film on both players,” Minter said. “I’m getting Brandon’s in the mail today.”

In case you missed the last blog, Stegall was hurt in the recruiting process because he had mononucleosis over the summer.

--Stan Olson