Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Named One to Watch for 2026 5✮ IOL

@dariusgrayy_- Twitter

The Tar Heels are continuing to put in work on the 2026 recruiting trail as they look to piece together Bill Belichick’s first recruiting class and the team is reportedly making a push for one of the top offensive linemen in this cycle.

As reported by Tom Loy of 247Sports, the Tar Heels are a “team to watch” for 2026 5✮ IOL Darius Gray. According to Loy, a source reached out to him recently and told him to “keep an eye on North Carolina” and that things have been picking up between the two sides recently. Loy also says that he expects an official visit from Gray to Chapel Hill to happen at some point soon and that things are trending the right way for the Tar Heels right now.

Gray, the No. 28 overall prospect and No. 2 interior offensive lineman in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, hails from St. Christopher’s High School in Richmond, VA. This past season, as a junior, he was named an all-state member on both sides of the ball, an All-Metro team member and was a Navy All-American.

While this is exciting to hear, the Tar Heels still have a lot of work to do here if they are going to come away with this massive commitment. They may have some significant momentum right now, but last week it was LSU, who received multiple predictions to land his commitment. Getting that official visit scheduled would be the next big step towards proving they are a legitimate threat in this recruitment.