Tar Heels watching 2026 recruiting target
Most of the recruiting focus has been with the 2024 and 2025 classes around college basketball but with the evaluation period opening up again, prospects in the 2026 cycle are starting to gain interest from programs.
That includes North Carolina. During Thursday’s session at the Peach Jam, the first open evaluation day of the new period, North Carolina made sure to catch 2026 prospect Cole Cloer.
The Hillsborough, North Carolina native has three offers so far in his recruitment but is drawing a lot of interest in recent months. UNC, N.C. State, Cincinnati, Kentucky and Michigan were among the programs watching him according to Rob Dauster:
Game 2, Day 2: Checking out Cole Cloer from Hillsborough, NC. Athletic, 6-7 2026 wing that has already banged two threes and blocked two shots. First play of the game, CP3 ran a backdoor lob for him.
Calipari, UNC, NC State, Michigan, Cincinnati, @TravisBranham_ all here. pic.twitter.com/kJu8AF9O6e
— Rob Dauster (@RobDauster) July 6, 2023
This is the second time in a few weeks that UNC has watched the 2026 recruit, also watching him at an in-state event back at the end of June.
The 6-foot-7, 180-pound Cloer has offers from Wake Forest, Appalachian State and High Point.
While the 2026 class does not have rankings on 247Sports just yet, Cloer is a player to keep tabs on moving forward especially being an in-state prospect for the Tar Heels.
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