Heel Tough Blog: Tar Heels Catching Eye of 2026 4✮ ATH

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The Tar Heels are pushing hard for some of the best prospects in the country in the 2026 class and apparently the team is making waves with one of the top athletes in said class.

According to a report from On3 Sports recruiting insider Steve Wiltfong, the Tar Heels have “caught the eye” of 2026 4✮ ATH Nasir Rankin since they offered him back on January 28th. Others who are standing out to him right now are Duke, Illinois, Michigan, Oregon, USC and Wisconsin.

Rankin just recently concluded his junior season at Morgan Park High School in Chicago, IL. He finished the year with 40 receptions for 991 yards and 12 touchdowns and 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 19 carries. The previous year as a sophomore at Whitney Young High School in Chicago, he hauled in 37 receptions for 441 yards and five touchdowns and carried the ball nine times for 249 yards and three touchdowns. Defensively, he finished with 33 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, six interceptions, one of which he returned for a touchdown, six passes defensed, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He also had a big role on special teams, as returned 14 kicks for 367 yards, which averaged out to 26.2 yards per return.

When it comes to where his recruitment stands, it appears that Illinois remains firmly in the driver’s seat of this recruitment. The Illini received multiple predictions to land Rankin after his visit to the Illini’s junior day back on January 24th. Since then, though, the  Tar Heels have jumped into the race and Rankin has remained uncommitted, so it feels like there is opportunity here if the Tar Heels can seize it.

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