The Tar Heels 2021 is setting up to be the best in school history, especially after landing 5✮ CB Tony Grimes earlier this week, the school's first composite 5✮ since Donte Paige-Moss in 2009. While this class is seventeen commits strong, there are still some big time targets that are still up for grabs and now feels like the perfect time to get you familiar with them now that Grimes is off the table. Let’s take a look at the names that you should know for the remainder of this 2021 recruiting cycle.
2021 4✮ WDE George Wilson- Green Run (Virginia Beach, VA)
Wilson is set to announce his commitment in just under a week and a half and the Tar Heels are in a good position for him, especially after landing Grimes. The Tar Heels have made a phenomenal push after jumping into his recruitment on May 11th and will now head into his recruitment as the heavy favorite. This would be an important addition for the Tar Heels at a position that they are still needing to build depth at over the next couple of years.
2021 4✮ DT Tyrion Ingram-Dawkins- Gaffney (Gaffney, SC)
Ingram-Dawkins has really seemed to establish a strong relationship with the current Tar Heel commits and it feels like that is what is giving the Tar Heels a strong chance to land his commitment. He has recently teased a final four and the Tar Heels would expect to be one of those four, but it is still hard to get a read on exactly where they stand amongst other favorites like Georgia and South Carolina. Defensive tackle is one of the positions of need that remain in this class and Ingram-Dawkins looks to be the team’s top target at the position.
2021 3✮ TE Bryson Nesbit- South Mecklenburg (Charlotte, NC)
Tight end is the Tar Heels biggest remaining need in the 2021 cycle and Nesbit appears to be the team’s top priority. He released his top 14 back in late May, but at the moment, this recruitment feels like it has two clear leaders. This seems to be a battle of the Carolinas and the progress that the Tar Heels have made in recent months has put them right on the heels of the Gamecocks in this one.
2021 4✮ OT Logan Taylor- Episcopal (Alexandria, VA)
Taylor’s recruitment has been very quiet during this time with him having returned to Canada so it’s hard to understand exactly where he is at in his recruitment right now. The Tar Heels have been one of the long time contenders for Taylor and the feeling is that they are still in very good shape. Recent offers from Florida and Ole Miss have seemed to have an impact, but this is likely one recruitment that we’ll have to wait on to learn more information about.
2021 4✮ DT Tyleik Williams- Stonewall Jackson (Manassas, VA)
Williams doesn’t seem to have nearly the ties that Ingram-Dawkins does to the program and staff, but the Tar Heels did land in his top six that he released back on June 24th. While Alabama and Virginia Tech seem to have the slight lead over the Tar Heels, this race is far from over and if the Tar Heels still want him, there is a fighting chance that they could land him.
2021 3✮ TE Robbie Ouzts- Rock Hill (Rock Hill, SC)
Ouzts' relationship with Carolina isn’t nearly as strong as the one Nesbit has with the team, but they are still a factor here. Plain and simply, Ouzts’ recruitment is fully reflective of what happens with Nesbit’s recruitment. Carolina is keeping themselves in the race here, but South Carolina and Alabama seem like the teams with the best relationship with him right now.
2021 3✮ K Andres Borregales- Chaminade-Madonna Prep (Hollywood, FL)
Borregales is currently committed to Miami, but there is definitely a connection between him and the Tar Heel staff. This would be tough, going into Miami’s backyard to flip a player that they already have committed, but in this cycle, anything is possible. Until Borregales locks down his commitment by signing his LOI, this is a name worth monitoring.
2021 4✮ DT Payton Page- Dudley (Greensboro, NC)
Page set his decision date on Friday evening for July 28th and the Tar Heels are one of the final three still fighting for his commitment. The question right now, though, is, how much of a fight are the Tar Heels actually putting up right now? Clemson is a heavy favorite as of right now and it seems like Tennessee is solidly in second in the race to the finish line. The Tar Heels are likely out of the race for this in-state defensive tackle.
2021 4✮ TE Michael Trigg- Carrollwood Day (Tampa, FL)
Trigg released a top ten that contained the Tar Heels back on June 7th, but his recruitment has had quite a few new developments since then. Six schools have offered him a basketball scholarship to go along with a football scholarship that was already one the table, five of which were in his top ten. Unless Roy Williams and his staff are willing to extend an offer to Trigg, something that seems highly unlikely at this point, this recruitment is over.