Heel Tough Blog: Who Do We Feel Best About- April 4th
- Anthony Pagnotta
- Apr 8
- 3 min read
This past weekend was the first official visit weekend for the Tar Heels as they hosted a handful of top targets in the 2026 class. One of those who was on campus, 4✮ ATH O’Mari Johnson, has already committed to the team following the visit, while the others are still soaking in what they saw on campus over the weekend. Here is a look at the guys that were on campus this week and our rankings of whom we feel best about from a Tar Heel perspective following their official trips to Chapel Hill.
3✮ DL Danny Beale III- Cross County (Cherry Valley, AR)
This is a name that many might not have known coming into the weekend, but that they should know a lot about now. Beale, the No. 124 overall prospect and No. 14 defensive lineman in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings, is being recruited by some of the nation’s top schools, but he told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals that the Tar Heels are his top school right now. Currently, he only has one other official visit on the schedule to Arkansas and if that holds, the Tar Heels are in a great spot. Even if those visits start getting scheduled, it feels like they did enough to establish themselves as legitimate contenders over the weekend.
4✮ WR Xavier McDonald- Morton (Morton, MS)
McDonald was someone who entered the weekend yet to receive an offer from the Tar Heels, but he walked away with them firmly in the race for him. He told Sam Spiegelman of Rivals on Monday that the team has “asserted themselves as contenders” for his services in what would be an expansive offensive role as a wide receiver. This race looks to be pretty wide open, so there is no reason to believe that the Tar Heels can’t compete with the likes of Auburn, LSU, Mississippi State and Ole Miss, who are scheduled to host him for official visits in the month of June.
3✮ IOL Khalief Canty Jr.- Cass Technical (Detroit, MI)
Canty Jr. was an under-the-radar visitor to campus this weekend but was a significant one. Scoring an official visit with him was a nice start and as of right now, he only has two other official visits scheduled, but it feels like in-state Michigan State is in the better position for him than the Tar Heels or Missouri. The other team to be wary of is Michigan, who is seen as the heavy favorite for him according to the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine, but does not have an official visit scheduled publicly with him right now. The Tar Heels are definitely a part of this recruitment, but it feels like there is still work to be done here exiting his visit.
4✮ LB Izayia Williams- Tavares (Tavares, FL)
Williams was arguably the biggest name on campus this past weekend, but it is also the one that we feel least confident about. The Tar Heels getting this visit was a big step for them, but this is as national a recruitment as any that the team is deeply involved with at this point. Williams is still committed to Florida at this point, but teams like Georgia, Penn State, Florida State and Colorado are all making major pushes to try to flip his commitment, as well. While Belichick’s reputation might be able to land him some recruits, this is probably not one of those recruitments where it holds that much power.
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