Lagonza Hayward is a 6-foot-1, 196-pound class of 2025 athlete starring at wide receiver, safety, and special teams for Toombs County High School in Lyons, GA. He has recently received offers from South Carolina on Dec. 1 and West Virginia on Dec. 8, has 15 total offers, and is being recruited by schools across the region.

Among Power 5 programs recruiting him include Cincinnati, Georgia Tech, Vanderbilt, Tennessee, and UCF.

But it was Defensive Backs Coach and North Carolina that have been following the physical difference maker since early in his recruitment, and the Tar Heels could have an inside track on the athlete who is familiar with Ty Adams, a freshman from the area.

Tar Heel Illustrated recently caught up with Hayward in a deep-dive interview about his recruitment from UNC, where he talked all things Carolina, which included a special visit to campus for the Tar Heels' Oct. 21 bout vs. Virginia: