Heel Tough Blog: 2026 Official Visit Primer- April 4th

The Tar Heels are set to kick off their official visit schedule with the 2026 class on Friday as they prepare to host two of their top targets in the cycle. Here is a look at the two prospects that will be on campus officially this weekend to kick off what will be a month full of important visits.

4✮ WR Xavier McDonald- Morton (Morton, MS)

@Xavierkeonmac - Twitter

McDonald, the No. 109 overall prospect and No. 16 wide receiver in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, hails from Morton High School in Morton, MS. In 2024, as a junior, he caught 38 passes for 562 yards and five touchdowns in just seven games. The previous year, as a sophomore, he hauled in 56 catches for 1,166 yards and 16 touchdowns. In 2022, he finished with 812 yards and eight touchdowns on 46 receptions, which followed an eighth grade season where he caught 32 passes for 797 yards and ten touchdowns.

The Tar Heels have to be encouraged by the fact that they landed an official visit with him, but there is work to do here. Florida State might be the team in the driver’s seat to land him, but Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Auburn are also pushing hard and in a good spot with him. This weekend will determine whether or not the Tar Heels have a shot here.m

4✮ WR O’Mari Johnson- Jackson Academy (Wesson, MS)

@rar1mari- Instagram

Johnson, the No. 289 overall prospect and No. 48 wide receiver in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, hails from Jackson Academy in Jackson, MS. This past season, as a junior, he played in just one game due to a knee injury, but he had three productive seasons prior to that. As a sophomore in 2023, he caught 43 passes for 807 yards and 11 touchdowns while also rushing for 465 yards and 10 touchdowns on 55 carries in 10 games. In 2022, as a freshman, he hauled in 60 catches for 1,026 yards and 13 touchdowns while carrying the ball 52 times for 431 yards and seven touchdowns in 13 games. He first saw action with the varsity team as an eighth grader when he caught 25 passes for 283 yards and four touchdowns in eleven games.

The Tar Heel staff has to feel pretty good about where they stand in this recruitment heading into the official visit. According to On3 Sports’ Recruiting Prediction Machine, Ole Miss is the team that is in the driver’s seat for him, but with them yet to schedule an official visit it feels like this recruitment might be a little more wide open right now.