Welcome back to the UNC Recruitcap! I hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving weekend and are enjoying the return of college basketball, which has already featured some truly bonkers games and a couple of incredible matchups. But we’re more concerned with the future than the present here, and UNC’s, at least in football, just got a little brighter with the commitment of coveted 3-star tight end recruit Bryson Nesbit. Let’s dive into the goings-on of recruiting with the basketball season back in session:

Football:

• Nesbit’s commitment is probably going to put a bow on the 2021 class for Mack Brown. It’s a tad under-manned, sitting at just 18 prospects, but given that UNC’s already young and this year isn’t affecting eligibility, it seems like Mack Brown and his staff are comfortable rolling with what they’ve got in terms of commitments. They might pursue recent South Carolina decommit George Wilson, who set a December 18th recommitment date recently with a top 3 of Auburn, Florida State, and UNC, but recent Crystal Balls have him staying in the SEC and I don’t get the sense UNC really feels a need for another outside linebacker after getting Trevion Stevenson.
• Looking ahead, 247Sports Director of Recruiting Brian Dohn put in 2 Crystal Ball picks for UNC in the 2022 class: wide receiver prospect Tychaun Chapman and defensive back prospect Tayon Holloway, both 4-star players from Virginia Beach. Holloway recently announced a commitment date of Christmas Day, so that’s exciting.

Basketball

• There isn’t a ton of news on the basketball recruiting front, so the first thing I want to do is direct you to this article from The Athletic that details, through public records requested receipts, how Roy Williams runs his official visits. It’s an absolutely fascinating look at exactly how much money and resources top-tier programs spend on this kind of stuff. It does, of course, require a subscription, but the author (Brendan Marks, who’s done great work as the UNC beat writer since being hired) did share as a teaser that it includes a $2,000+ check from Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse.
• This interview with unicorn prospect Chet Holmgren with recent 247Sports hire Eric Bossi seems to indicate that UNC, while in his final 7, is at the back end of that list. At least Duke isn’t on it? It really does seem, at least for now, that the rest of Roy Williams’ 2021 class is Hunter Sallis or bust, with a shot at some COVID-induced transfers in the spring.