Charlotte and Appalachian State each picked up commitments from players who helped lead their teams to state championships last season, while Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels continued their rapid 2026 class build with two more out-of-state additions.
The burst of commitments this week gives the Charlotte 49ers 18 for their Class of 2026. App State is now at 22, while UNC boosted its class to 25 members. UNC’s class continues to be ranked inside the national top 20 by 247Sports.
Let’s meet the latest commitments:
🟢 Donte Nicholson | WR | West Charlotte → Charlotte
A dynamic playmaker for the reigning 3A state champions, Nicholson (6-0, 165) gave his commitment to the hometown 49ers on June 27. He shined as a versatile weapon during his junior year — rushing for 188 yards and six touchdowns on just 12 carries and adding 28 receptions for 601 yards (21.5 yards per catch) and five scores. Nicholson caught a touchdown in the state championship win over Seventy-First.
He holds a 3.2 GPA and made the Queen City 3A/4A all-conference team. His recruitment picked up steam in May, with a flurry of five offers on the same day from Charlotte, Buffalo, Liberty, James Madison and Campbell. He collected offers all through the winter and spring from places like North Carolina Central, Hampton, Old Dominion, Marshall, Kennesaw State, Coastal Carolina, Gardner-Webb, Miami Ohio, Johnson C. Smith and Troy.
He took an official visit to Charlotte in early June. Prep RedZone ranked him the No. 7 WR in Mecklenburg County in a recent report and praised his speed, agility and big-play ability. “He is a big-play threat from anywhere on the field… Donte consistently torches man coverage, gaining separation on long routes with impressive speed,” the report stated.
➡️ See Charlotte’s complete 2026 commitment list: Visit our NC College Commitment Tracker
🟡 Sawyer Arnold | EDGE | Oceanside Collegiate (SC) → App State
Appalachian State landed a 3-star EDGE from one of the Palmetto State’s top programs. Arnold (6-4, 220) helped lead Oceanside Collegiate to back-to-back SCHSL 3A state titles. He totaled 26.5 sacks the past two seasons, earning all-state, all-region and All-Lowcountry honors while serving as team MVP.
A 4.7 GPA student who also plays lacrosse, Arnold chose the Mountaineers over offers from Cincinnati, Liberty, Mercer, Charleston Southern and more. He visited App and Wake Forest in June and announced his decision this week.
➡️ See App State’s complete 2026 commitment list: Visit our NC College Commitment Tracker
🔵 Lawrence Brown | EDGE | Grayson (GA) → UNC
North Carolina added a second 2026 player from powerhouse Grayson High, where Brown (6-4, 195) starred with 30 tackles, 12 TFLs and six sacks as a junior. The edge rusher, who also forced multiple fumbles, took official visits to both UNC and NC State this month before announcing his pledge to the Tar Heels on June 26.
Brown is the second Grayson product to join UNC’s class, alongside 4-star QB Travis Burgess.
🔵 Zamaurious Robertson | WR | Dillon (SC) → UNC
A productive wideout from Dillon, SC, Robertson (6-1, 180) became UNC’s 25th known commitment in the 2026 cycle. The 3-star receiver caught 59 passes for 880 yards and nine touchdowns last season, and also picked off two passes on defense. He held offers from App State, Charlotte, ECU, Liberty and Coastal Carolina.
➡️ See UNC’s complete 2026 commitment list: Visit our NC College Commitment Tracker
Read more of the latest commitments involving NC high school players and NC college football programs: Class of 2026 Recruiting Coverage
