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The Daily Tar Heel

Recruiting blog: Romeo Langford eliminates UNC, Payton Wilson will visit other schools

Luke shot Northern Iowa
Forward Luke Maye (32) pulls up for a jump shot against Northern Iowa on Friday in the Smith Center.

The future looks bright for the North Carolina men’s basketball team after this season, with its strong 2018 recruiting class so far. The class includes commitments from five-star recruits Nassir Little and Coby White, as well as four-star recruit Rechon Black. The Tar Heels also are still in the running for Zion Williamson, the No. 2 player in the nation according to 247Sports.

The 2018 class was not done there, though, as the team also offered Romeo Langford, a 6-foot-5 shooting guard and 247Sports' fifth-ranked player in the class. Langford would fill in for a 2018 team that will lose the scoring and playmaking abilities of seniors Joel Berry II and Theo Pinson. The undeclared senior from New Albany High School showed his all-around ability last season as a junior, averaging 28.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.1 steals and 2.1 blocks per game.

After making all of his official visits, Langford made his long-awaited decision to cut down from five potential teams to three. His list that previously featured the likes of UCLA, North Carolina, Indiana, Kansas and Vanderbilt, now just consists of Kansas, Indiana and Vanderbilt.

The announcement was made via Langford’s Twitter account in a video where the senior was featured in each of the school uniforms. 247Sports has Indiana as a 71 percent favorite to land the highly touted recruit. Despite the loss, the Tar Heels still have the current No. 2 recruiting class for 2018 behind Duke, which just landed the No. 1 overall player in R.J. Barrett.

Turning it over to the North Carolina football team, the Tar Heels have had a disappointing season thus far, but the team did manage to get its first ACC win of the season last Thursday against Pittsburgh. Despite the tough season, head coach Larry Fedora continues to show his strength in recruiting as the sixth-year coach puts together a solid 2018 class.

Wide receiver Beau Corrales (88) extends for a 26-yard catch against Miami on Saturday in Kenan Stadium.

The class is currently ranked 34th in the country by 247Sports, but the team’s future has taken a few hits this season. Their most noticeable loss was four-star quarterback Tyler Shough, who was a part of the 2019 class but flipped his commitment to Oregon earlier in the season.

The team’s 2018 class still features four-star wide receiver Jordyn Adams, a talented athlete who plays at Green Hope High School in Cary. In addition to Adams, North Carolina gained a commitment from four-star linebacker Payton Wilson, a Hillsborough native. Wilson had offers from 26 schools, including Alabama and Clemson, but decided to stay close to home, choosing the Tar Heels.

After tearing his ACL during a kickoff on Oct. 27, Wilson looks to rebound fast in hopes of being ready for the 2018 season. Although UNC received an early commitment from Wilson, the senior linebacker has recently discussed visits with other universities. Wilson had a visit to N.C. State on Nov. 3 and will visit Notre Dame on Nov. 18. Wilson plans on enrolling early and practicing in the spring with whichever team he chooses.

The No. 3 overall player in North Carolina, Wilson showed great vision and made tackles all over the field for his team. The senior had 103 tackles and 10 sacks in eight games played this season, compared to the 127 tackles and 13 sacks he had in 13 games as a junior. Wilson also showed athleticism on the offensive side of the ball, registering playing time as quarterback, running back and wide receiver for his team this fall.

North Carolina will look to continue to keep Wilson’s commitment despite the recent rumors, as the linebacker would be a defensive playmaker for a team that has struggled with defense at times this season.

@Jconn_24

sports@dailytarheel.com

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