Instead of dwelling on recent recruiting losses, Bunting focused on his 22 new players, many of whom will soon be counted on to fill holes on his Peach Bowl-winning team.
"I think the (Rolling) Stones came up with the expression you can't always get what you want, but you get what you need," Bunting said. "I think we did a good job with most of that."
Asked which of the 22 incoming freshmen have the greatest chance to play next year, Bunting pointed to running back Mahlon Carey, wide receiver Ian Firestone, and a slew of defensive players - ends Alden Blizzard, Kendall High, Brian Rackley and Xavier Rainey and defensive backs Tommy Richardson and Rashaad Tindalls.
"We lost a lot of defense," Bunting said. "And I've named a lot of defensive guys right there that I think could impact both special teams and get on the field defensively for us."
With significant losses on the offensive line, Bunting also said he has no plans to redshirt linemen Whit Efird, Kyle Ralph and Chris Woods.
Still, Bunting could not totally avoid questions about lost verbal commitments. Wideout David Noel passed on a scholarship last week and will instead walk on the UNC basketball team, and highly-touted A.J. Davis spurned UNC for N.C. State on Thursday morning.
"A commitment can be as meaningful as the breath used to speak the words," Bunting said.
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