Two more North Carolina high school defenders are heading out of state in the 2026 recruiting cycle — one to the ACC, the other to the American Athletic Conference.
Independence linebacker Dallas Brannon, one of the state’s most productive tacklers and a top-60 prospect in North Carolina according to 247Sports, announced a commitment to Virginia over the weekend. The Cavaliers beat out a long list of suitors, including in-state finalist Duke, for the Charlotte standout.
Meanwhile, Concord native Micah Bright, a defensive back who recently transferred to Hough, has committed to South Florida. Bright was a statistical leader at Cox Mill in 2024 and holds 16 total offers, including several Ivy League programs and multiple in-state FCS schools.
Brannon has been a tackling machine for Independence. He averaged 13.1 tackles per game last season and racked up 147 stops – including 89 solos – during the Patriots’ 2023 campaign, which included a long playoff run.
Bright has recorded 112 tackles over the past two years at Cox Mill. He picked off three passes a year ago.
More than 50 prospects from North Carolina high school football’s class of 2026 have announced college commitments. Find out where they are headed: View our NC High School Commitment Tracker. (We’ve got links to stories on most of them).
📊Dallas Brannon | Virginia 2026 Commit
🧩 Position: Linebacker
📍 Hometown: Charlotte, NC
🎓 High School: Independence Patriots (10-2 in 2024)
🧢 High School Coach: DJ McFadden
📏 Height/Weight: 6-2, 207
🏅 247Sports Ranking: Three stars, the No. 55 player in North Carolina and the No. 129 athlete nationally
🎯 Offers/Interest: Reported more than two dozen Division I offers in all. His decision came down to ACC rivals Virginia and Duke. He chose the Cavs after visiting both schools on back-to-back June weekends, citing academic and football reasons.
💪 News & Notables: Earned Charlotte Mecklenburg School’s men’s fall athlete of the year and football MVP … Two-time all-conference and all-region performer … Picked for the All-Charlotte Observer team … Has 306 total tackles, 18.5 TFLs and 6.5 sacks for his career.
📊Micah Bright | South Florida 2026 Commit
🧩 Position: Defensive Back
📍 Hometown: Concord, NC
🎓 High School: Hough Huskies
📏 Height/Weight: 6-0, 185
📚 GPA: 4.3
🏅 247Sports Ranking: not ranked …
🎯 Offers/Interest: In-state offers came from Charlotte, Gardner-Webb, Campbell and Elon … Also had Ivy League interest from Yale, Princeton, Harvard, Dartmouth and Cornell offering … 16 total offers reported
💪 News & Notables: Transferred to Hough from Cox Mill after the 2024 season … 65 tackles as a junior at Cox Mill, with 7 TFLs, three interceptions, three fumble recoveries as Cox Mill finished with just two wins … recorded 47 tackles and 11 PBUs as a sophomore … Also plays point guard in basketball.
