The crazy recruiting month of June is coming down the home stretch, as the Tar Heels are set to host their final weekend of summer official visits in Chapel Hill this weekend coming off of a third week of official visits that saw some other big names roll through campus and the Mack Brown Showtime Camp take place. As we head into that final week, here a look at how the Tar Heels appear to be trending with some of their top prospects.
⇧Deuce Caldwell
Caldwell announced on Tuesday night via a Twitter post that said “it’s time” and on Wednesday he put up another post referencing a commitment possibly coming on Friday. The Tar Heels hosted Caldwell early last week and the indications from everything that has happened since is that things went well. Caldwell picked up crystal balls to the Tar Heels from Brian Dohn of 247Sports and Paul Strelow of Rivals.com. If he was to make his decision on Friday, it would come on what is scheduled to be the first day of his official visit to Central Florida. All things seem to be pointing to Caldwell committing to the Tar Heels and would give them an athletic linebacker in this 2022 class.
⇧Conner Harrell
Harrell was on campus this past weekend for the Mack Brown Showtime Camp and on Monday he announced his commitment date of July 4th. While he did take official visits to Northwestern and Arizona State, all of the crystal balls are pointing in the direction of the Tar Heels. Over the past two days, they have received all four of the crystal balls that have been cast between 247Sports and Rivals. At the least, the Tar Heels currently head towards the commitment as the leader.
⇧Travis Shaw
The Tar Heels have hosted Shaw for an unofficial visit earlier this month and the Tar Heels have now officially locked up an official visit from him this weekend. This is big for the staff considering this wasn’t scheduled to begin the month and this is a recruitment that doesn’t seem to have changed all that much outside of Georgia establishing themselves as a solid contender. The Tar Heels will have a chance to make what appears to be one last push for him in a recruitment that is starting to have the feel of one that is close to its end.
⇧Justin Kanyuk
The Tar Heels, who offered Kanyuk earlier this month, will be hosting him for an official visit this upcoming weekend. When they offered, they almost immediately became the favorite and that has stuck to this point, even after a visit to and an offer from Virginia over the weekend. Barring something shocking this weekend, a commitment from Kanyuk doesn’t look too far off for the Tar Heels.
⇨Daylen Everette
Prior to Shaw announcing he would visit this weekend, all eyes were focused on Everette, who will be taking his final official visit. It felt like coming into the month that the Tar Heels were the leaders for Everette’s services and heading into this weekend, it doesn’t appear that much has changed. Clemson still appears to be the biggest challenger, while Georgia is the team lurking and the Tar Heels will get the final chance to impress before, what the hope is, will be a summer decision. Dré Bly will continue to push hard for this one and a strong visit might push the Tar Heels firmly ahead.
⇨Jake Pope
The Tar Heels were in great standing with Pope following his visit to Chapel Hill in the first week of June, but Notre Dame responded with a strong visit of their own to retake their spot as the slight favorite for his services. The good news for the Tar Heels is that it doesn’t seem as if his visit to Ohio State went quite that well, as it appears to easily be the least raved about of the three visits both from the recruiting sites and Pope himself. He has one final official visit and that is to Alabama, but the thought is that the Crimson Tide have guys on their board that they value at the position, meaning that the race will likely come down to the Tar Heels and the Fighting Irish.
⇩Shaleak Knotts
Knotts is one of the Tar Heels top remaining in-state targets, but this is one that appears as if it may be slipping away from the Tar Heels a bit. Knotts took an unofficial visit to Maryland last week and it apparently went pretty well. The Terrapins received a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports for him late last week after his unofficial visit to campus and he is scheduled to take an official visit to College Park this weekend. He has also taken officials to Georgia and Tennessee, while the Tar Heels, one of the teams that appear to be one of the favorites for him in the early going, will not have hosted him this month.