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Saturday was a busy and successful day for ACC football teams, as North Carolina, Virginia Tech, and Syracuse all received commitments from players in the class of 2025.
First, UNC’s attention was turned away from the men’s basketball team’s 85-69 win over Michigan State as three-star tight end Marshall Pritchett chose the program. Four-star linebacker/tight end Brett Clatterbaugh committed to Virginia Tech an hour later. Then, Syracuse got two commitments in a span of under five minutes: Byron Washington, an offensive lineman listed at a massive 6-foot-8, 380 pounds, and wide receiver/defensive back Marcus Upton.
The four players all have one more year of high school football before playing at the collegiate level. Let’s examine each player for each program.
Marshall Pritchett, North Carolina
Sep 30, 2017; Atlanta, GA, USA; Detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports
Listed at 6-foot-5 and 211 pounds, Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School’s (Ga.) Marshall Pritchett is ranked the No. 24 tight end in the class. He had 37 offers, according to 247Sports.
Over his two seasons, Pritchett has 1,309 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns, according to MaxPreps. He helped the team go 13-1 this season, reaching the championship game but falling to Providence Day.
North Carolina now has six players committed in the class of 2025. Four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne, ranked a top-200 player in the 247Sports Composite, leads the group. UNC’s recruiting class is ranked 18th-best class of 2025 in the nation.
Pritchett posted a video to social media platform X announcing the decision:
Brett Clatterbaugh, Virginia Tech
Photo: Reinhold Matay-USA TODAY Sports
Virginia Tech picked up four-star linebacker Brett Clatterbaugh on Saturday evening. At 6 feet 2 inches and 235 pounds, Clatterbaugh chose the Hokies over 17 other programs, including his top five schools of Georgia, Notre Dame, Penn State, and Clemson, according to Rivals.
Clatterbaugh, who gets snaps on both offense and defense, broke out as a freshman at Eastern View (Va.). He recorded 153 total tackles (102 assisted), 19 tackles for loss and three sacks. Over his three seasons, he has 306 total tackles, 35.0 TFLs and 10 sacks.
He also has 801 receiving yards, 140 rushing yards, 59 passing yards (a touchdown pass his sophomore year), and 16 total offensive touchdowns (including the pass).
He posted a video to X:
Byron Washington, Syracuse
Photo: Rich Barnes/USA TODAY
The name Byron Washington may sound familiar to those who follow high school football around the nation. That’s because, in November, he recounted his journey to The Athletic, telling the outlet about the emergency surgery he got to protect his growth plates after a six-inch growth spurt over a one-month period that threatened his ability to walk.
Today? He’s 6-foot-8, 380 pounds, and a three-star offensive lineman on DeSoto High School (Texas), a team that went 16-0 last year to win back-to-back championships and finish at No. 4 in the USA TODAY High School Sports Super 25 national rankings.
The Athletic describes him as athletic and agile at left guard: “That position is usually reserved for smaller offensive linemen, but he’s a proficient blocker who pulls effectively and plays violently,” wrote Ari Wasserman.
Two days ago, Washington tweeted a picture at a Syracuse facility and posted a graphic with his announcement on Saturday.
He’s ranked the No. 67 offensive tackle on the 247Sports Composite rankings.
Marcus Upton, Syracuse
Photo: Rich Barnes/USA TODAY
Marcus Upton has zero stars on his 247Sports page, but that didn’t prevent him from racking up 14 college offers. With his stats as a two-way player, it’s unsurprising that universities were interested.
Upton plays cornerback, safety and wide receiver at Winslow Township (N.J.). As a junior, he recorded 30 catches for 611 yards and seven touchdowns on offense to go with 69 tackles, seven interceptions, a pick-six and five forced fumbles, according to 247Sports.
Upton visited Syracuse over the weekend and gave them a verbal commitment before leaving, 247Sports reported.
He and Washington are the fourth and fifth commits to the Orange, with Upton posting his announcement to X four minutes after Washington.