The second weekend of June may have become the most important one in the crucial month for this cycle. All eleven targets on campus this weekend are uncommitted targets that the staff holds in high regard. Here is a look at this week’s rankings of the targets on campus which the Tar Heels will have the best chances to land.
11. 3✮ S Kaj Sanders- Bergen Catholic (Oradell, NJ)
Sanders is the one guy that the Tar Heels don’t feel to be in the thick of the battle for heading into the weekend. Penn State and Rutgers seem to be the two schools best positioned for him, while Miami looks as if they are making the late push for him. Considering he isn’t even the safety that will get the most focus this weekend, it would be a bit of a shock if he was to commit to Carolina on his new decision date, July 8th.
10. 3✮ TE Korey Duff Jr.- St. Anthony’s (Melville, NY)
The biggest question that has to be answered here is what effect does last week’s commitment from Timothy Lawson have on this recruitment. Before that commitment, the Tar Heels appeared to the neck-and-neck with Miami and Rutgers in this recruitment, which may still be the case. With Lawson being a dual-sport athlete who could choose baseball at any time and Ryan Ward, the team’s other tight end in the class, receiving an offer from Alabama recently, it feels like this is one that the staff should still pursue.Â
9. 4✮ LB James Nesta- Hough (Cornelius, NC)
Nesta has the Tar Heels as one of the final three for him, but they are hosting from the lead this weekend. Miami entered the month as the slight leader and just hosted him last weekend and seemed to check all of the boxes. The Tar Heels need to put together a strong showing this weekend to at least pull even with the Hurricanes and hope that the close proximity might be enough to keep him close to home. It’s still possible, but it’s hard to bet on him being a part of the class right now.
8. 3✮ LB Crews Law- CPA (Nashville, TN)
Laws recruitment has been a bit of a rollercoaster recently. The Tar Heels got off to a strong start in this recruitment back in the winter, but had a quiet spring with him, opening the door for other schools to take advantage. Even more recently, he canceled his orginial official visit trip on the final weekend of the month, leading to some thinking he wasn’t going to make a trip to Chapel Hill before he rescheduled for this weekend. It feels like the Tar Heels are still right in the thick of this thing, but hometown Vanderbilt set a really high bar after last weekend and Kentucky has also become a factor. This feels like one, though, that can still be the Tar Heels if they want it.
7. 3✮ DL De’Andre Cook- Friendship Collegiate Academy (Washington, DC)
This is the recruitment that has changed the most since the month of April. The Tar Heels had a tremendous spring in this race, establishing themselves as the clear favorite after multiple trips to Chapel Hill. They still appear to be firmly in this race, but he is taking a full slate of official visits, including to Penn State who has appeared to take the lead here. The Tar Heels need a really good visit to reestablish themselves as the leader in this recruitment.
6. 4✮ RB Tovani Mizell- Western (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Tar Heels were firmly in the driver’s seat of this recruitment, but it doesn’t feel nearly as sure a thing as it once did. The Tar Heels might still be the leader here for the former Georgia commit, but Kentucky has closed the gap significantly and will get their shot next week. Oklahoma also appears to be lurking and could be the team that gets the final weekend visit if the Tar Heels or Wildcats don’t blow him away. The Tar Heels are in a good spot here, but they need a strong visit to help push them to the finish line in this one.
5. 3✮ CB Trajen Greco- Mill Creek (Hoschton, GA)
Greco being where he is on this list shows just how good of standing the Tar Heels are in with the group on campus this weekend. The Tar Heels appear to hold a significant lead here, but he will take an official visit to Kansas later in the month. As long as the Tar Heels take care of business this weekend, though, they should be able to land this commitment whenever he ultimately decides.
4. 3✮ ATH Carlos Mitchell Jr.- Lake Wales (Lake Wales, FL)
Mitchell Jr. may have released a top six earlier this week, but this race feels to be in the Tar Heels' control at this time. As of right now, the Tar Heels are the only school that is scheduled to receive an official visit from him, so this one is in their control. If the Tar Heels put together a good enough visit this weekend, this could be a guy that pops sooner rather than later.
3. 4✮ S TyShun White- Buford (Buford, GA)
White is the highest rated prospect that is on campus this weekend and one of the guys the team is in the best standing with. The Tar Heels made some nice waves with him in the spring and had control of this recruitment heading into this weekend. The Tar Heels should be looking to close down this recruitment this weekend if they can, which seems possible with a strong enough visit.
2. 3✮ S Jalon Thompson- Olympia (Orlando, FL)
Thompson is one of two guys that felt like a sure deal heading into the weekend. The question is will the Tar Heels be willing to take his commitment at this time. The team has a group of higher-profile options here that they probably value over him at the safety spot and it would not be shocking if they try to get Thompson to hold off to see if they can land some of the bigger fish on their board.
1. 3✮ ATH Curtis Simpson- Kings Mountain (Kings Mountain, NC)
Simpson is another guy who feels like he was in the bag heading into this weekend. The Tar Heels established themselves as the firm leaders with what they did with him in the spring and it looks like the Michigan offer that he received in late April will not result in an official visit. 247Sports lists Simpson as having an Appalachian State official visit, but a good enough showing could end things before then.