Heel Tough Blog: 2027 3✮ WR Flips to UNC

@chadwillis5k- Instagram

While things may have quieted down a bit on the 2027 recruiting front with official visits coming to an end, the Tar Heels still remain one of the hotter teams on the trail.

On Wednesday evening, the Tar Heels completed another flip, as 2027 3✮ WR Chad Willis switched his commitment from Cincinnati to UNC. The flip comes after Willis took an official visit to Chapel Hill back on the weekend of June 19th where the Tar Heels did enough to hold off what Cincinnati and Auburn showed him earlier in the month.

Willis, the No. 752 overall prospect and No. 98 wide receiver in the 2027 class according to Rivals Industry Rankings, is preparing for his senior season at Orchard Lake St. Mary’s Prep in Southfield, MI. This past season, as a junior, Willis finished with 649 yards and six touchdowns for a team that won a second state title at the Division 2 title in the state of Michigan. The previous year, as a sophomore, he hauled in 19 passes for 283 yards and three touchdowns in 14 games.

Willis, who measures in at 6’2.5, 215 lbs., is trending up on a lot of recruiting websites and for good reason. After playing heavier this past season, Willis has reportedly slimmed down and added more speed this offseason and that will serve him well with what he already possesses in terms of his skill set. He is a yards after catch monster because of his ability to shake loose from defenders and that should only improve with his added speed. He is a strong route runner that does a good job of creating separation, especially on curl and comeback routes, two that show up often on his junior film. You only see it a couple of times on film, but he has the height and athleticism to go up and get the football in contested catch situations. The hope is that the speed will allow him to win more downfield, but he did a solid job of winning in that area when he had to this past year. Getting eyes on him this coming season will be very interesting, but this is already a very nice complementary addition to the other two wide receivers that the team has in this class.

With the commitment, the Tar Heels now have 18 total in the 2027 class, including three at the wide receiver position. The class sits No. 35 overall and No. 7 in the ACC according to the Rivals Industry Team Rankings.