Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels One of Five Remaining for 2026 4✮ QB

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The Tar Heels are off to a hot start on the 2026 recruiting trail, but one area that remains a position of need is the quarterback spot. Earlier this week, though, the team did land in the top five for one of their top targets at the position.

On Thursday night, Hayes Fawcett of On3 Sports released the final five schools for 2026 4✮ QB Landon Duckworth, one of the top uncommitted quarterbacks in the class. The Tar Heels are one of those five along with Auburn, Florida State, Ole Miss and South Carolina.

Duckworth, the No. 55 overall prospect and No. 6 quarterback prospect, hails from Jackson High School in Jackson, AL. This past season, as a junior, he completed 66.7% of his passes for 3,439 yards and had a 39-10 touchdown-to-interception ratio. He also ran for 648 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 62 rush attempts on way to a 4A state title. Back in 2022, he threw for 1,971 yards and posted a 27-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing 60.2 of his passes. He also ran for 371 yards and five touchdowns on 62 carries.

The race for Duckworth may officially be down to five, but it feels like this is a two-horse race right now. Both Ole Miss and South Carolina have received forecasts to land him and seem to be in the best spots to do so with everyone else playing from behind. For the Tar Heels, they likely sit fifth in the pecking order as they are still looking to get an official visit scheduled with him, something every other finalist already has.