Caleb Wilson's Big Deal, Another 5-Star Official Visitor, UNC Football Training Camp Updates
Plus: Professor Hansbrough, UNC women's basketball goes international, men's hoops conditioning test, big soccer weekend, and more
The UNC athletic year is heating up. Students are back on campus, football kicks off in less than two weeks, and soccer is already underway. In men’s basketball, Caleb Wilson has signed a multi-million dollar deal with New Balance. (Does he make more than Hubert Davis now?) And on the recruiting trail, there’s a big basketball official visitor this weekend and another one added to the calendar. On to the updates…
Basketball
North Carolina 5-star freshman forward Caleb Wilson signed a multi-year, multi-million deal with New Balance this week. UNC is a Nike school, so Wilson will wear Nike apparel in games and during official basketball appearances, but he’ll be repping New Balance off the court and in his side ventures.
Speaking of off-court ventures, I never imagined myself uttering the phrase “Professor Hansbrough,” but that’s exactly where we are. Tyler Hansbrough, the ACC’s all-time leading scorer, is taking his game to the UNC classroom as an adjunct professor teaching a sports communication class (Media and Journalism 377) alongside professor Livis Freeman.
Among current basketball players, the Tar Heels held their annual preseason conditioning test at sunrise on the first day of class Monday. I’ve heard it called the “Carolina Mile,” the Cooper Test, the 12-minute run, but whatever it’s called, it doesn’t seem very fun. Click the photo below for some pictures from the run:
I’m not sure which of the basketball players ran the best on Monday, but I’d wager that no one on the team is beating assistant coach Brad Frederick, who completed the Raleigh City of Oaks Half Marathon in November with a time of 1:30. That’s a (6:53/mile pace) at age 47! He also completed the 2022 Boston Marathon in 3:09. Even Seth Trimble can’t hang with that.
Basketball Recruiting
Five-star wing Cameron Holmes has included UNC in his top 6, along with Illinois, Texas, Oklahoma, Gonzaga, and home-state Arizona. He has scheduled an official visit to Chapel Hill on Sept. 19.
Class of 2026 4-star forward Quinn Costello discussed his recruitment and UNC:
“They are a blue blood program, a super legendary program. Hubert Davis is a great coach and I’ve heard great things about the school. I haven’t seen the campus yet, but I’m looking forward to visiting. I really enjoyed watching those teams with Caleb Love, Brady Manek.
David Sisk at TarHeel247 shared a great recruiting piece with a few UNC nuggets:
5-star wing Anthony Thompson begins his official visit to Chapel Hill this Friday, Aug. 22.
5-star combo guard Dylan Mingo is someone UNC fans should be watching.
5-star forward Miikka Muurinen has UNC in his final 7, but his recruitment may drag out.
And 5-star forward Cameron Williams will be taking an official visit to UNC on Nov. 7.
With those additions, here’s the updated list of UNC basketball official visits:
Aug. 1 - Sayon Keita (5-star C)
Aug. 22 - Anthony Thompson (5-star SF)
Aug. 31 - Deron Rippey Jr. (5-star PG)
Aug. 31 - Toni Bryant (5-star PF)
Sept. 5 - Bryson Howard (4-star SF)
Sept. 12 - Tajh Ariza (5-star SF)
Sept. 19 - Cameron Holmes (5-star SF)
Oct. 4 - LJ Smith (4-star CG, unofficial visit)
Oct. 10 - Cole Cloer (4-star SF)
Oct. 31 - Maximo Adams (4-star SF)
Nov. 7 - Cameron Williams (5-star PF)
…and the Updated 2026 UNC Basketball Recruiting Board.
Football
UNC kicks off its football season in 11 days, and former UNC letterman Taylor Vippolis says that Michigan transfer running back Benjamin Hall has made a name for himself in training camp:
While we’re in the backfield, former UNC running back Ronnie McGill shared some great insight into Bill Belichick’s system of player evaluation with Inside Carolina. McGill was part of the New England Patriots’ scouting department from 2010-21. “Quit telling me what the guy can’t do, and tell me what the guy can do.“
Bill Belichick, wide receiver Alex Taylor, and linebacker Andrew Simpson spoke with the media on Wednesday ahead of practice. Here are links to their YouTube videos:
Defensive backs Marcus Allen and Thaddeus Dixon along with offensive lineman Daniel King have been named to the Senior Bowl Top 300 List.
And after an impressive start to the NFL preseason, former UNC All-American offensive lineman Willie Lampkin will have to miss a few weeks with knee and ankle injuries. Hopefully the Rams will keep him on the injured list to protect him from NFL-mandated roster cuts.
Women’s Basketball
It’s apparently “International Week” for UNC Women’s Basketball.
The newest Tar Heel, Russian wing Liza Astakhova, finally arrived in Chapel Hill on Wednesday after a 64-day immigration process similar to that of men’s basketball wing Luka Bogavac. Click on the image below for some photos of Astakhova’s heartwarming reception from her teammates.
And fellow UNC freshman Taissa Queiroz scored 15 points to help lead her native Brazil U-23 team to victory in the bronze medal game of the “Globl Jam” event in Toronto, Canada.
Women’s Basketball Recruiting
On the recruiting front, recent UNC commit Kate Harpring is ranked as the No. 2 player in the entire country, according to the updated Rivals Top 10. Harpring’s commitment is huge for the program!
On a side note, I have a new favorite name this recruiting cycle: No. 10-ranked Kentucky commit Savvy Swords.
Baseball
R.L. Bynum from Tar Heel Tribune wrote a great feature on former UNC outfielder Kane Kepley, who’s showing out for the Myrtle Beach Pelicans to begin his pro career. Kepley’s already a major league quote machine:
“I like to get on first [base] any way I can. I like being electric out there and showing the guys some grit. And taking a 95-mph fastball through the shoulders is a lot of grit to me.“
Olympic Sports
And in keeping with our running theme from earlier in this post, former UNC (and International) soccer star Heather O'Reilly will run in this year's Chicago Marathon in October, with a goal of breaking the four-hour mark. What hasn’t “HAO” done? The mother of two has been on American Ninja Warrior, a FOX Sports analyst, is a co-owner of the Carolina Coffee Shop on Franklin Street…the list goes on.
The UNC men’s soccer team kicks off Thursday night against UCF…here’s a great season preview from Inside Carolina with head coach Carlos Somoano.
One of Somoano’s star players, Luca Nikolai, has been named to Top Drawer Soccer’s “Best XI” first team and was ranked No. 9 in their Top 100 list.
Tar Heel Tidbits
Finally, congratulations to former UNC defensive back Ja’Qurious Conley and quarterback Conner Harrell, who have been named captains of the Charlotte 49ers football team. The Tar Heels play the 49ers on Saturday, Sept. 6 at 7 p.m. in Charlotte.
Former UNC kicker Liam Boyd, wide receiver Justin Olson, and defensive lineman Curtis Simpson also play for Charlotte now.
Final Thoughts
As a reminder, this newsletter will remain free through the end of August, giving you a chance to see what it’s all about while giving me time to dial in the content that’s most valuable to you. Starting Labor Day, it will switch to a paid model: $5/month or $50/year, with a 1-week free trial you can cancel anytime.
So, why the paid subscription model? It’s simple. Tar Heel Times will always remain a free website, but this newsletter is something new—more personal, more focused, and directly supported by readers like you. It’s a clean, ad-free UNC digest delivered straight to your inbox, without clutter or clickbait. Your support helps cover the time and effort it takes to put it all together.
Go Heels, and a sincere thank you to the many subscribers who have already become paid supporters.
James