Heel Tough Blog: 2026 ATH Commits to UNC Following OV

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The Tar Heels hosted another huge group of official visitors over the weekend and in the midst of it, picked up their 20th commitment in the 2026 class.

As first reported by Inside Carolina, the Tar Heels landed a commitment from 2026 ATH Aveon Williams prior to the conclusion of his official visit. This move comes less than a month after the Tar Heels extended an offer to the 6’6, 245 lbs. athlete. UNC beat out UNLV, who hosted him for an official visit last weekend, and Sacramento State, who was scheduled to host him for this coming weekend.

Williams, who is currently unranked according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, hails from Casa Grande Union High School in Casa Grande, AZ and played both sides of the football a year ago.  On offense, he caught 36 passes for 771 yards and 11 touchdowns out of the tight end spot, while also racking up 12 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks in limited reps on the defensive line. He was named a first team all-region member at tight end and an honorable mention along the defensive line for his efforts. The year prior, as a sophomore, he caught 34 passes for 452 yards and eight touchdowns offensively and 25 total tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 in a more expansive role defensively.

Williams is one of the more interesting players to watch on film, especially on the offensive side of the ball. At his size, he is an absolute menace with the football in his hands, running through defenders with ease. His speed at his size is a pleasant surprise, as he shows the ability to pull away from defensive backs after he catches the football. He has strong, reliable hands, as witnessed by some of the tough catches he has to make and he does a great job of coming down with the 50/50 jump balls, even if he is not as purely athletic as some of the wide receivers that thrive in that area. The surprising thing about him is that he didn’t seem to be used much in run blocking situations, so that is one element of his game that is still a question mark. He will also have to polish up some of his route running and prove that he can be more of a threat in the middle of the defense when he gets to the college level.

There is some promise for him on the defensive side of the ball, too. He has some nice reps both standing up and with a hand in the dirt while getting after the quarterback and his length does allow him to alter the passing lanes for opposing teams. His motor is also something you can’t question because of the relentlessness that he shows when it comes to getting to the ball carrier. His acceleration off the line of scrimmage and closing speed are elements of his game that do stick out, but I wouldn’t exactly classify him as a speed rusher. He isn’t overly physical, but he does such a good job of using his long arms to shed blocks that he is still able to make plays in the backfield. If he’s going to stick on the defensive side of the football, he’ll need to add a little more burst and physicality to his game, but the measurables and motor are certainly there.

With his commitment, the Tar Heels now sit alone in sixth amongst the teams with the most commitments in the 2026 class with 20. The class remains No. 19 overall and No. 5 in the ACC in this recruiting cycle.