Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels One of Six Remaining for 2026 4✮ CB

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Back in late February, 2026 4✮ CB Dorian Barney cut his list down to twelve and, now, just a month later, he has narrowed it even further.

As he revealed to multiple outlets on Friday, Barney is now deciding between six schools after a round of unofficial visits in the last month. The Tar Heels are joined by Colorado, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Penn State and Texas A&M as those that remain in the hunt for him.

Barney, the No. 111 overall prospect and No. 12 cornerback in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, hails from Carrollton High School in Carrollton, GA. This past season, as a junior, he played in eleven games and had an interception in his first season with the school. Prior to that, he spent one season at Peachtree Ridge High School in Suwanee, GA where he finished with 32 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions and ten pass deflections. As a freshman at Eagles Landing Christian Academy in McDonough, GA he had 32 total tackles, eight interceptions, six passes defensed and one fumble recovery in just eight games.

When it comes to where the former Alabama commits recruitment stands, it appears that Texas A&M is in the driver’s seat right now. On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine gives the Aggies a 53.2% chance to land his commitment, while the Tar Heels sit with less than a 1% chance. The good news is that the prediction from On3 Sports recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong that flipped the percentages in the Aggies’ favor was cast back in December and he still remains uncommitted. The Tar Heels have some work to do to catch A&M, but it feels like they have positioned themselves well and should be one of the schools that eventually receives an official visit from him.