The future of the North Carolina Tar Heels’ football program has been in question the past few months. While it appears as if Mack Brown is ready to return for another season, there is a lot of work to do to ensure the future is on the right path.
The Tar Heels have already lost two commitments in the 2025 class with both tight ends leaving within the last month. And as early signing day approaches, UNC has lost another.
Four-star offensive tackle Alex Payne officially decommitted from the Tar Heels and committed to USC. The move was projected to happen as he received a crystal ball prediction from 247Sports’ Tom Loy. It didn’t take long for Payne to flip after visiting UNC recently.
🚨BREAKING🚨 4-star OT Alex Payne has flipped his commitment from North Carolina to USC, per @ChadSimmons_✌️
Read: https://t.co/T9GPvR6Vf5 pic.twitter.com/HnMbaS9vyP
— On3 Recruits (@On3Recruits) November 22, 2024
North Carolina’s class is already thin for the 2025 cycle pending some big decisions, so losing prospects is not ideal. They still have time to add more recruits ahead of the end of the class but you never want to lose your highest-rated recruit.
With Payne now gone, quarterback Bryce Baker is UNC’s top-rated recruit on 247Sports, ranking No. 148 overall. The Tar Heels class is ranked No. 78 as of Friday’s decommitment.
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