Heel Tough Blog: Two Members of Tar Heels' 2026 Class Not With Program
- Anthony Pagnotta
- 4 minutes ago
- 2 min read
The importance of the 2026 recruiting class for the Tar Heels can not be understated with where the roster is at and on Thursday, it was revealed that the team has lost two signees from that class.
As first reported by Inside Carolina’s Don Callahan earlier today, wide receiver Keeyun Chapman and interior offensive lineman Da’Ron Parks will no longer be a part of the football program after signing with the team in December.
Chapman, who was ranked as the No. 232 overall prospect and No. 39 wide receiver in the class according to Rivals Industry Rankings, was the top wide receiver in the class for the Tar Heels after a strong prep career at Jackson High School in Jackson, AL. This past season, he was credited with hauling in 16 passes for 304 yards and three touchdowns in seven games. The year prior as a junior, he caught 51 passes for 1322 yards and 19 touchdowns on his way to all-region honors and a 4A state title.
As for Parks, who was ranked as the No. 568 overall prospect and No. 53 interior offensive lineman in the class according to Rivals Industry Rankings, he was an important addition that the Tar Heels made on signing day as he became the team’s top interior offensive lineman in the class. This past season, he was the anchor of an offensive line that averaged 165.2 yards per game on the ground and 257.5 through the air. Prior to this season, Parks made stops at Cardinal Mooney High School in Florida and Hurricane High School in West Virginia.
If neither are to officially enroll with the Tar Heels, this would be a significant blow to a roster that could use both players this upcoming season. While Chapman’s departure would be big considering he has all the tools to be a No. 1 receiver eventually, Parks might be the more impactful this season because of the lack of depth along the offensive line. The bottom line is, this is not a good sign for a team that is relying heavily on talented freshmen like these two guys to step up and play right away.