Four Star 2016 Quarterback Recruit Chazz Surratt Decommits from Duke to Join UNC Chapel Hill
By Chris Brown
Duke Football’s stellar recruiting class took a slight hit today, as 4-star quarterback prospect Chazz Surratt has decided to re-open his recruiting to decommit from the Blue Devils and has committed to play for UNC in the fall of 2016.
More from Duke Football Recruiting
- Duke football: David Cutcliffe hits recruiting trail with recent offer spree
- Duke football offers top-tier Class of 2023 quarterback Dylan Lonergan
- Duke football program continues to add to Class of 2021 recruiting class
- Duke football lands commitment from three-star running back Trent Davis
- Duke football: David Cutcliffe offers top 2023 QB prospect Arch Manning
Chazz Surratt was ranked as the #13 QB prospect in the nation and the #2 QB from the state of North Carolina for the class of 2016. Surratt is a talented 6-2, 197 pound QB recruit from East Lincoln High School in Denver, NC, originally committed to play for head coach David Cutcliffe and the Blue Devils back in April. He’s a dual-threat QB who led his team to the state championship as a junior last season completing 68% of his passes while averaging about 7.9 yards per carry, amassing over 4,000 total yards.
Surratt’s decision to leave the Blue Devils is a little puzzling, especially to join rival UNC. The Tar Heels continued to communicate with and recruit the QB, even after he already chose Duke. It’s also strange because UNC just received a notice of allegations from the NCAA for a huge academic scandal and “lack of institutional control” that went on for 18 years affecting around 1,500 student-athletes.
Surratt has stated that he “always loved Carolina growing up”, but the only reason he didn’t choose the Tar Heels is because of the academic fraud allegations. The UNC football coaches, however, appear to have been telling recruits and players that they are 100% certain that the football program won’t be touched by pending punishments.
More from Ball Durham
- Duke basketball: The architect behind digital dominance
- Duke basketball prioritizing frontcourt prospects in 2025
- Duke basketball: Unmasking the hate for the Blue Devils
- Duke basketball: Countdown to Craziness lands another huge visitor
- Duke basketball fills final open scholarship
Additionally Surratt, who received All-State accolades in football as well as basketball, has stated that he wants to be a two-sport athlete in college and he will have the chance to play football and basketball for the Tar Heels and met with Roy Williams who promised he could join the men’s basketball team as a preferred walk-on, while it’s unsure Coach K would have made the same accommodations. A similar offer was also extended to Chazz’s younger brother, Sage Surratt, to join the Tar Heels in the class of 2018.
As for Duke, Coach Cutcliffe may decide to go after another available QB in the 2016 class or they could decide to stand pat and wait for the next year with younger quarterbacks on the roster in redshirt sophomore Parker Boehme and former top QB recruit redshirt freshman Nicodem Pierre. Either way, even with Surratt’s departure the Blue Devils still have a very talented 2016 recruiting class.