UNC Gaining Traction With Towering 2028 Prospect

North Carolina is getting an early look at one of the most intriguing prospects in the 2028 recruiting class.

Mar 28, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone reacts in the second half against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tar Heels are getting a jump on the 2028 recruiting class, and it involves a top-20 player who would be a massive addition to the North Carolina frontcourt.

Dylan Betts to Visit North Carolina

5-star Dylan Betts is taking a tour of unofficial visits to multiple colleges across the country, and he’ll be stopping in Chapel Hill as he makes his rounds. 

Mar 14, 2025; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone in the second quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

North Carolina and Michael Malone reached out to the highly touted prospect at the beginning of July to extend an offer, and it seems there is definitely mutual interest from both sides.

Betts will take an unofficial tour of North Carolina from September 25-27, which will be one of four schools he has locked in a visit with so far. Michigan, Illinois, and Alabama are among the other three schools that have set an unofficial visit with the center prospect.

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

— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) May 25, 2026

While this visit is an unofficial one, I wouldn’t be surprised to see Betts follow up with an official one if he likes what he sees on his first visit. After all, what’s not to love about Chapel Hill, right?

Betts comes in at a towering 7’3" and is playing with IMG Academy in Florida. While he’s ranked 12th nationally according to the 247Sports Composite, his size could propel him up recruiting boards and make him a ton more valuable. 

Mar 17, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach Michael Malone on the sideline during the first quarter against the Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As a center prospect, he comes in ranked fifth, but again comes in a good 3-5 inches taller than every prospect ranked above him. If he can get enough coordination between his top and bottom halves, he could be an insane prospect overall. 

How It Can Impact UNC

For North Carolina, it would only add to the amount of size they have in the frontcourt. Alexandros Samodurov and Sayon Keita are both hovering around the seven-foot mark, and they’ll be left with eligibility to remain at North Carolina for a while. 

UNC basketball coach Michael Malone during his first press conference inside the Smith Center on Tuesday, April 7, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

There’s a long list of teams in the running for Betts still, and it will probably be a while before there’s any real traction as to where he’s leaning on committing. It would be a massive landing for Michael Malone and North Carolina, and it’s never too early to start pulling some recruits from future classes. 

Hopefully, when Betts arrives on campus, the coaching staff will go all out to make sure he knows this is where he’s supposed to be. A 7’3" recruit is always a guy you’d rather have on your team, not play against.