The North Carolina football team had an eventful summer in terms of recruiting. Here’s a look at some of the top players in the Tar Heels’ 2018 class, all of whom will be playing their final high-school seasons this fall. All rankings come from 247Sports.com.
Payton Wilson, four-star outside linebacker
Wilson, the No. 3 outside linebacker in the country, decided to stay close to home when he committed to North Carolina in May.
As a junior at Orange High School in Hillsborough, Wilson racked up 127 tackles, 39 tackles for loss, 13 sacks, 4 pass breakups and an interception in 13 games. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound linebacker also played on offense and finished the season with 756 rushing yards, 305 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns.
Wilson also wrestled and played lacrosse for his high school, and head coach Larry Fedora was the only coach interested in Wilson to attend a lacrosse game. That gesture may have made the difference.
Jordyn Adams, four-star wide receiver
Adams’ commitment drew serious hype in the recruiting world, as he announced his decision on live on NFL Network at Nike Football's The Opening event.
He brandished a pair of UNC receiving gloves to make it official. He’ll play his senior season at Green Hope High School in Cary after starring in South Carolina for three years. As a junior, he played mostly at quarterback and had 1,571 total yards. His father, Deke Adams, returned to UNC’s coaching staff in January as the defensive line coach, proving family was a strong factor in his son’s commitment.
Adams, the fourth-ranked receiver in the state, is committed to North Carolina for both football and baseball. In the Under Armour All-American Game in July, he hit a walk-off 11th single to give his team a 2-1 win. He even stayed late to sign autographs for young fans.
