North Carolina high school prospects continue to attract attention from out-of-state programs — and last week, one Virginia school pulled off a rare double. Delaware State landed a pair of 2026 wide receivers from Weddington High School, as Jonathan Manley and Kelson Tate both committed to the Hornets and new coach DeSean Jackson.
Meanwhile, James Madison continued to mine talent from the Old North State, picking up a pledge from Charlotte Palisades cornerback Kyle Bynes, the second North Carolina player to join JMU’s 2026 class this month.
Here’s a closer look at each recent commitment:
Kyle Bynes | CB/ATH | James Madison Commit
Charlotte, NC | Palisades HS | 6-1, 180
Bynes, who helped Palisades to a share of the SoMeck Conference championship in 2024, visited JMU over the weekend of June 13 and committed on June 19. He made 42 tackles last season, broke up nine passes and returned an interception for a touchdown.
Bynes also garnered interest and offers from Appalachian State, Elon, Gardner-Webb and Campbell in-state as well as about a dozen other Group of Five and FCS programs. He’s the second North Carolina player to commit to James Madison this month, joining Havelock defensive tackle Christopher Bispham.
#AGTG Committed to @JMUFootball🏠@PHSFBRecruiting @PalisadesFB @SC_DBGROUP @willbradleysp @EddieWhitley37 @CoachBobChesney pic.twitter.com/C5qSgC60hY — Kyle Bynes (KJ) (@kjbynes) June 19, 2025
Jonathan Manley | WR | Delaware State
Matthews, NC | Weddington HS | 5-7, 150
The speedy wideout will go the HBCU route, joining former Philadelphia Eagles standout DeSean Jackson’s build at Delaware State, an FCS program that competes in the MEAC. Manley caught 22 passes for 435 yards and five touchdowns as a junior, helping Weddington to a 13-1 record and conference title. Manley, who returned 21 punts for an average of 15.0 yards per return, also held an offer from Appalachian State.
Kelson Tate | WR/ATH | Delaware State
Matthews, NC | Weddington HS | 5-8, 160
Tate will join his Warriors teammate Jonathan Manley at Delaware State after one last ride with Weddington. Tate also featured an offer from App State. He caught 38 passes a year ago for 395 yards and six touchdowns. Tate also played a big role in the return game, averaging 34.3 yards on 12 kickoff returns.
📌 More 2026 Recruiting Coverage:
📊 NC Class of 2026 Player Rankings – Our composite 2026 player rankings based on 247Sports, Rivals, On3 & ESPN
🔁 NC High School Commitment Tracker – Where top 2026 NC prospects are committing (in-state & out-of-state)
🎯 NC College Commitment Tracker – Find out everyone who’s heading to North Carolina college programs from the class of 2026
