The new Rivals 2026 rankings were released earlier today. All seven players in the class who have North Carolina offers were included., and ranked in the top-40. Here is a closer look at each one, and their overall recruitments.
Previous Ranking: 1
Movement: None
Rivals Take: "A legitimate contender for the No. 1 spot, Stokes’ athleticism, shot-creation ability and knack for finishing at the rim are what pop off the page about him, and there may not be a better prospect in the class when it comes to the transition game. His elite skill set and lofty upside are obvious to anyone. It feels as though the five-star forward could seize the top spot if he becomes a better long-range shooter in the year ahead."
His Recruitment: The same thing we said for McCoy can be said for Tyran Stokes. He can end up on any college campus he so chooses. The Louisville native attends Prolific Prep in the Napa Valley of California. He has taken one official visit so far. That was to his hometown Cardinals earlier in the month.
Previous Ranking: 4
Movement: Up One
Rivals Take: "Caleb Holt is coming off an impressive performance at USA Basketball Junior Minicamp and earned a bump up from No. 4 to No.3, in part, because of it. He has long been a break-pushing fastbreak scorer, but has recently shown signs of progress as a shot-creator in the half court. The 6-foot-5 Holt is among the most athletic and explosive prospects in the class, and his recruitment has a bit of a southern flare to it."
His Recruitment: Caleb Holt is another five-star standout who has offers from all four corners of the country. The Huntsville, Alabama guard now attends high school in Atlanta. He has set up one official visit to Ole Miss in November. Holt has a long-standing relationship with former UNC great, Kenny Smith, and an affinity for the Tar Heels.
"When I was younger I used to look up to them, " Holt admitted to THI. "I knew Kenny went there. I used to look up to Armando Bacot when I first went there. He took us on a little campus visit. I fell in love with it there. As I got older I’m still a fan of North Carolina for sure, but it’s not like my dream-dream school like it was when I was younger. I’ve been talking to UNC a lot so it’s really good."
Previous Ranking: 7
Movement: Up two
Rivals Take: "A newcomer to the top five, Smith continues to be one of the most productive players on the floor in every possible setting. From all-star camps, to high-level high school hoops to the grassroots circuit there is not stage on which the skilled, hard-nosed guard has not shined brightly.
Not only is he a skilled prospect with a smooth jumper but his motor and broad shoulder-build allow him to play even bigger than his 6-foot-2 build on both the glass and the defensive end."
HIs Recruitment: Jordan Smith will take his first official visit this weekend to Louisville. Paul VI has been a pretty strong pipeline to Duke historically, but Smith had plenty to say to us after his offer from North Carolina.
"Hubert is cool. He is from the area. He's from the DMV area, so he relates to a lot of the stuff I've been through. He was just asking me personal questions that I appreciated. He asked me how my summer was, and all of that stuff. I just feel like a bond has been built between us, " Smith told THI.
When we asked him his feelings about the UNC Basketball program he responded, "When I think about North Carolina I think about legacy. There is a lot of legacy like Michael Jordan of course. I also think about all of the Final Four appearances, and that kind of stuff too."
Previous Ranking: 39
Movement: Up 33
Rivals Take: "One of the biggest risers in this update, Miikka Muurinen shot up from No. 39 to No. 6 based on a summer that saw him take American grassroots hoops by storm. The 6-foot-10, Finnish-born forward is the prototype for a modern 4, as he’s a floor-spacing dream that is able to fill it up from deep in addition to being comfortable putting the ball on the floor. He still needs to add muscle and polish when it comes to scoring and defending in the paint, but his long-term upside and efficiency numbers are downright tantalizing."
His Recruitment: Muurinen is one of if not the leading candidates for reclassificatinon into the 2025 class. He has taken full advantage of his available junior official visits this fall which has only fueled the speculation. He has already visited Utah. Michigan, Arkansas, and Duke since Labor Day. Muurinen was one of the biggest movers in Rivals new rankings.
Previous Ranking: 20
Movement: Up two
Rivals Take: "Holmes clearly added significant muscle over the last year and now checks in at a self-reported 6-foot-6, 205 pounds and his needed up frame is allowing him to impact games in more wide-ranging ways. At the event, Holmes functioned as more of a bully on the glass than he ever has before and was much more difficult to disturb with a bump. Holmes has a smooth jumper and his more reliable from the mid-range than the outside for now but that part of 2026 standout’s game is also continuing to take shape."
HIs Recruitment: Cameron Holmes has offers from Arizona, Arizona State, BYU, Cal, North Carolina, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Oregon, Stanford, USC, Washington, and Washington State.
Ty Admunsen is Holmes' coach at Millennium. He informed us of how North Carolina offered, and his response.
"Sean May came out first on his tour. I believe he went to see Koa Peat at Perry. They caught wind of Cam at EYBL, and they wanted to come check him out at one of the workouts. Sean May was like this is a no-brainer. We need to get the head coach here on campus. He goes, ‘We’ll be back in two weeks.’ Sure enough they made arrangements, and came down for a practice. Hubert Davis was on cloud nine with Cam, and offered him right then and there on the spot. They have continued to recruit him. It’s a big deal for Cam and the family. That is one of the top, top programs in the country, and to get something like that for Cam it just motivates him even more. He wants to get better, and not just go to North Carolina, but to go the North Carolina way and play as a freshman. That’s what he strive for, and for any program he decides to go to. It just motivates him more.”
Previous Ranking: 22
Movement: Down 13
Rivals Take: "Cole Cloer has a pretty jumper. The odds are good that he’ll be a quality outside shooter. There is a toughness about Cloer that belies his slender frame. Age and maturity will help him fill out his lanky frame and he could end up growing a few more inches. His ability to drive hard and take off is impressive. Cloer isn’t just a catch and shoot guy, though he could be pretty good at that. He is comfortable handling the ball and had some 'sauce' to his ballhandling."
His Recruitment: Cole Cloer has offers from NC State, Alabama, Georgetown, Illinois, Iowa, Louisville, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Tennessee, Wake Forest, Miami, South Carolina, Oklahoma State, Appalachian State, High Point and Virginia Commonwealth.
Cloer hasn't taken any official visits, but he is firmly at the top of the radar for Hubert Davis in the Class of 2026. UNC is considered the early heavy favorite for the Tar Heel native. His father, Scott, summed up the response when the offer came.
He was excited. I mean this is where I grew up, my wife grew up, Cole grew up, my family. To get any ACC offer is fabulous. He self taught himself since he was eight, and I’ve watched him work and shoot until he had blisters on his hands. All of that to finally get that offer was pretty big.”
Previous Ranking: 28
Movement: Down 11
Rivals Take: “In basketball I’m a dog. That’s the main thing about myself. I’m a dog. I’m a rebounder. I’m going to get at least, at least 14 rebounds a game. I’m definitely going to dunk the mess out of the ball, and try to break the backboard. I’m going to try to break the rim. I’m aggressive. Not many people I’ve played against can match my aggression. They get frustrated, and mad, and they get out of their game. It‘s frustrating playing somebody more physical than you. I’m a leader, and overall I’m a great teammate from people who don’t get in the game to the ones that do I’m always going to be friends with everybody.” - Harrison giving a self scout to Tar Heel Illustrated
His Recruitment: Not only his Harrison one of the top power forwards in his class the two-sport phenom is also a football All-American. He has made it clear that he wants to play both in college. Harrison has already been on the Chapel Hill campus well over a dozen times. Even though Mack Brown's future may be a question mark, and he has more offers than we can count, the Tar Heels are still considered a major player for the star out of Reidsville.
