Major UNC Target Commits Away From Tar Heels

Just because North Carolina has Kate Harpring doesn't mean they're settled. Head coach Courtney Banghart was in the Top 7 for top-five-star target Addison Bjorn before she pledged her commitment to Texas.

Oct 6, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; North Carolina head coach Courtney Banghart answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Bjorn's decision was leaked at the last minute, as it seems like the Longhorns offered her far more in NIL than any of the other teams. In the modern era of college basketball, this is what teams are stuck dealing with. It's no longer about talent or what a program can do to a player's game; instead, money seems to continually come out on top.

It's not just college basketball, but college sports in general. Bjorn is the latest player to choose the highest bidder, so to speak. At the end of the day, she had seven choices, and Texas outbid the rest.

North Carolina's Failed Pursuit Of Addison Bjorn

5⭐️ Addison Bjorn (ranked #10 in the Class of 2026) has committed to Texas🤘 pic.twitter.com/F2cKKUs5EP
— E J 🏀 (@EJayArrow) November 20, 2025

Bjorn is a Riverside, MO, native and had the Tar Heels in her Top 7 alongside Notre Dame, Iowa, UConn, Duke, Texas, and Kansas. The Hawkeyes and Jayhawks saw their names come up quite a bit in pursuit of the 6'2'' small forward, but ultimately, the five-star believes she's best suited with the Longhorns.

UNC still has just one commit in its Class of 2026, that being Harpring. The Marist High Schooler is the No. 1 overall player in the class, according to 247Sports. While losing out on Bjorn still hurts, it hurts a little less knowing they have such a talented player to look forward to.

Dec 6, 2017; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; A general view of the logo on the court prior to the game between the North Carolina Tar Heels and the Western Carolina Catamounts at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images | Jeremy Brevard-Imagn Images

Bjorn is currently the No. 2 small forward in her class, a position the Tar Heels would've loved to add. Harpring is a point guard, so at this point, they're willing to look at any player not in that position. Knowing they have only one recruit, at this point, they'd take what they can get.

Lengthy Journey For Bjorn

5⭐️ recruit Addison Bjorn (6’2” W | ranked #13 in the Class of 2026) on an OV to UNC 🐏 pic.twitter.com/W7GqnEQr8k
— E J 🏀 (@EJayArrow) September 9, 2025

Teams have been competing for Bjorn since January 2022, according to 247Sports. The Jayhawks were the first to throw an offer her way, and that wasn't even enough in the end. No matter how long a team remains in contact or how much they fight, money proved to be the difference.

Compared to Kansas, UNC was a bit of a late bloomer. That said, they were still extremely early to the party. The Tar Heels threw an offer Bjorn's way on July 27, 2022. They've still been in the mix for over three years, but her official visit on Sept 1 wasn't enough to get the job done.

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