North Carolina’s push for elite talent isn’t slowing down after landing 5-star Demarcus Henry. The Tar Heels are already working on the next wave, and one name that keeps popping up is Brady Pettigrew, a 5-star combo guard from Bolingbrook, Illinois.
Pettigrew is currently in the 2028 class, but there’s growing buzz that a move to 2027 could be on the table. If that happens, he would instantly become a major priority for Michael Malone and his staff as they keep building around Henry.
The interest makes sense. Pettigrew is ranked 10th nationally in the class of 2028 by the 247Sports Composite, and North Carolina has been tracking him for a while now. If he does reclassify, he and Henry would give UNC one of the most talented freshman pairings in the country next season.
Reclassification has become a bigger part of college basketball recruiting, and the financial side of the sport is a big reason why. Moving up a class can open the door to financial deals and help recruits maximize NIL earnings. There has also been speculation that a potential cap could be coming soon, which is why more 2028 prospects may be considering the jump.
The source material makes clear that Pettigrew’s situation is not being tied directly to that possibility, but it is one of the factors that has made reclassification a more realistic path for some players.
Pettigrew also recently visited North Carolina and was in attendance Monday for UNC’s game against Western Carolina. Even with that trip in the books, the race doesn’t look settled. The Fighting Illini are still believed to be in a strong position because Pettigrew is from Illinois, and Kentucky, Duke and Ohio State are also in the mix.
For now, the Tar Heels remain very much involved. Michael Malone and North Carolina are still in the hunt for one of the top prospects in the country.
In Other News...
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Defensive coordinator Steve Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi both resigned in the wake of the probe, a sign of how seriously the findings landed inside the building. The investigation concluded that some actions crossed the programs standards, even if they were not deemed systemic, leaving UNC with the uncomfortable task of trying to move forward while the fallout from the review still hangs over the football operation. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Football Probe Just Raised Bigger Questions Around Bill Belichick
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has spent more than $914,000 on an internal investigation into its football program, a costly review that ended with the resignations of general manager Michael Lombardi and defensive coordinator Steve Belichick. Conducted by three law firms, the probe found isolated actions that did not reflect the universitys values, but it stopped short of concluding there was a broader breakdown inside the program.
For UNC, the bigger issue now is how much of this episode lands at the feet of Bill Belichick and how quickly the program can move past it. Chancellor Lee Roberts has continued to back the head coach, but the investigation has only sharpened the scrutiny around the structure of his staff and the culture taking shape around the Tar Heels. [Read more 🡒]
Touted UNC Freshman Suddenly Out Of Team Activities After Serious Crash
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For the Tar Heels, the situation leaves one of their young defensive linemen on the sideline and unavailable on ACC availability reports while the program waits for the matter to play out. Cleveland had been a touted addition to the roster, but for now his focus is clearly away from football, and there is no indication he is back in the teams daily routine. [Read more 🡒]