It’s not uncommon to see student-athletes play multiple sports in high school, but it’s rare to see the same in college.
The North Carolina Tar Heels were lucky to have a legendary 2-sport athlete in Julius Peppers, the Pro Football Hall of Famer who played both football and basketball. UNC currently has Kaleb Cost, who’s a defensive back on the football squad and outfielder for the baseball program.
North Carolina was also linked to another 2-sport athlete in the class of 2025, Shamarius Peterkin, the 6’2″ wide receiver who plays basketball and football for Mount Tabor High School in Winston-Salem, NC.
Peterkin listed the Tar Heels, NC State and Virginia Tech as his three recruiting finalists. Peterkin also made a decision over the weekend – and sadly, it doesn’t include UNC.
On Friday, Aug. 16, Peterkin committed to the Hokies in the recruiting portal. This came as a surprise to many, who thought Peterkin would stay in-state for his next chapter.
Snook is officially a Hokie
A flare for the dramatics, Peterkin tossed both UNC and NC State hats to the crowd.
Big get for Virginia Tech as Snook will play BOTH football and basketball. https://t.co/UEYzTBDk7v pic.twitter.com/j069vijKsp
— JOHN JOHNSON II (@TheJJohnsonTV) August 16, 2024
North Carolina’s men’s basketball program wasn’t going to allow Peterkin to play both basketball and football, but Virginia Tech was, a major factor into his decision.
Peterkin’s out-of-state commitment isn’t a huge loss for North Carolina, who already has 14 Class of 2025 commits, including one from 3-star wide receiver Evan Haynes. If Peterkin had committed to UNC, though, he’d mark the Tar Heels’ fourth 4-star commit.
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