5-Star LB Travis Hughes Commits To North Carolina Over Clemson, Maryland and VT

5-Star linebacker Travis Hughes committed to North Carolina on Saturday over Clemson, Maryland and Virginia Tech. 

Coaches from all four teams visited Hughes at his home in Virginia Beach throughout the week in a last-dtich effort to sell their programs, but in hindsight the Tar Heels might have had this one in the bag before then. 

"Overall I just felt so good at Carolina. When I came up to campus and talked to coaches, I bonded with the players and everything. I just fell in love with Carolina,"Hughes said. "It was real tough for me to make my decision. It speaks a lot to the bond I built with coach Davis and the staff."

Hughes ranks out as the No. 9 linebacker of the 2011 recruiting class regardless of position. 

That's where most schools are recruiting him to play, but there's still a distinct possibility that he could play on the offensive side of the ball. 

This season he rushed for 1,227 yards and 20 touchdowns. Hughes is just one of the rare prospects that has legit ability on both sides of the ball and very well may end up as a running back in college. 

His initial burst off the line of scrimmage and breakaway speed should serve him well regardless of where he lines up, but his talents would likely be maximized on defense.

Hughes is aggressive, hits hard and craves contact. He's got great instincts and can cover the field sideline to sideline with relative ease.

While many felt that Clemson and Maryland were the favorites to land Hughes, the fact that he ended up going with the Tar Heels shouldn't come as a surprise considering Davis' track record of developing defensive talent at Miami and North Carolina.

Hughes is one of two 5-star prospects in the Tar Heels' 2011 class, joining offensive tackle Kiaro Holts. 

With 21 commitments, North Carolina will now turn its attention to 5-star running back Savon Huggins to round out what's starting to have the look of a top 10 recruiting class. 

Check out the December Commitment Tracker for all the latest commitments, as well as our Top 100 Commitments List to keep you up to date with all the latest recruiting news.