North Carolina is making an early push for one of the biggest names in the 2028 class, and this one comes with literal size.
Dylan Betts, a 5-star center who stands 7-foot-3, has Chapel Hill on his unofficial visit tour this fall. Betts is set to be on campus from September 25-27, one of four schools he has already lined up. Michigan, Illinois and Alabama are the other programs with unofficial visits scheduled.
UNC and Michael Malone got involved early, reaching out to Betts at the beginning of July with an offer. That early contact appears to have mattered, with interest now going both ways.
Betts, who plays for IMG Academy in Florida, is currently ranked 12th nationally in the 247Sports Composite and fifth among centers. Even so, his height alone makes him a different kind of recruiting target. He is listed as 3-5 inches taller than every player ranked ahead of him at the position, which is a big reason evaluators see his stock as capable of climbing.
There is already buzz around just how imposing he is. “7'3 16-year-old Dylan Betts is a problem!247Sports has him ranked #10 in the 2028 class 👀 @DylanBetts51 @NikeEYB pic.twitter.com/8Q1BEYrCBb”
For North Carolina, Betts would fit neatly into a frontcourt that already has size. Alexandros Samodurov and Sayon Keita are both around seven feet tall, and both still have eligibility left at UNC for a while.
The visit is only unofficial for now, but it would not be a surprise if it leads to an official visit later on. Betts has plenty of schools in the mix, so it may be some time before his recruitment starts to sharpen. For now, though, North Carolina has positioned itself as a serious early player for a towering prospect who could become one of the most intriguing names in the class.
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