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Recruiting Rush: Five Top-40 North Carolina football prospects pick colleges this week

North Carolina football recruiting 2027 commitments
North Carolina's Class of 2027 football recruiting. AI-generated image.

Five Class of 2027 players ranked among North Carolina’s Top 40 prospects by 247Sports announced commitments during a busy stretch of recruiting this week, with Georgia, Auburn, Florida, Duke and NC State each landing one of the state’s highly regarded prospects.

Who committed:

PlayerHigh SchoolRankingCommitment
Nate KambaCorvian Community#9Auburn
Antwan McKoySt. Pauls#13Georgia
Jonathan DillonSouthern Durham#20Duke
Robert Geathers IIIProvidence Day#24Florida
Khy’lieb RodriguezArdrey Kell#39NC State

What It Means

The recruiting board for North Carolina’s top prospects continues to fill up during the summer official visit rush. The most recent commitments reinforce several trends that have emerged during the 2027 cycle:

SEC Powers Continue to Land North Carolina’s Top Talent

Three of the week’s five commitments — Nate Kamba (Auburn), Antwan McKoy (Georgia) and Robert Geathers III (Florida) — are headed to SEC heavyweights. That gives the conference six of North Carolina’s top 20 players and seven of the top 25, including the top overall player in the Class of 2027 (Jaxon Dollar committed to Georgia).

Georgia and Kentucky have two Top-25 players each, with Georgia, Auburn, Florida, and South Carolina landing one apiece.

Duke’s In-State Momentum Shows No Signs of Slowing

Jonathan Dillon became Duke’s fourth commitment from North Carolina currently ranked among the state’s Top 30 prospects by 247Sports.

That’s an impressive haul for the Blue Devils, who are trying to keep momentum after a surprise ACC title run in 2025. Their message is resonating with in-state talent. 247Sports ranks the overall class 32nd nationally.

NC State Continues to Set the Pace at Home

The commitment of Khy’lieb Rodriguez gives the Wolfpack five in-state pledges, most of any school so far. NC State got started early with a pair of commits from Raleigh area players last summer and now has a wideout, running back, tight end, defensive lineman and kicker with North Carolina ties.

Providence Day’s Talent Pipeline Keeps Delivering

The defending NCISAA champions now have six players committed to Power Four programs, the most of any school in North Carolina. The Chargers continue to remain a recruiting hotbed with the 2027 class sending commitments to Kentucky, Florida, Penn State, Rutgers, Wake Forest and Temple.

North Carolina’s 2027 Recruiting Board Is Shrinking Fast

Only eight players in 247Sports’ list of Top 25 prospects for North Carolina remain uncommitted, while just 12 players in the Top 40 have yet to announce a college choice.

East Carolina got its name on the board with in-state standouts twice in the last week, landing players who are ranked by 247Sports at No. 50 (TE Phoenix Barnes, Jack Britt HS) and No. 53 (OL Gio Driggers, Heide Trask HS).


Getting to Know The Most Recent Top 40 Commits

Nate Kamba, DL, Auburn

No. 9 in North Carolina (247Sports)

  • Four-star defensive lineman chose Auburn over South Carolina, Ohio State and NC State.
  • Has recorded 50 career tackles-for-loss in three varsity seasons.
  • Ranked the No. 33 defensive lineman nationally by 247Sports.
  • Visited Auburn just days before announcing his commitment.
  • Said relationships with the coaching staff and an opportunity to play early helped seal his decision.

Antwan McKoy, DL, Georgia

No. 13 in North Carolina

  • Massive 6-foot-3, 295-pound lineman with a reported 7-foot wingspan.
  • Chose Georgia after official visits to Athens and South Carolina.
  • Posted 19 tackles-for-loss as a junior and 10 sacks as a sophomore.
  • Earned Defensive MVP honors at the Under Armour Next Camp in Charlotte in May.
  • Still has a post about his first scholarship offer — from East Carolina in spring 2025 — pinned atop his X profile.

Jonathan Dillon, WR, Duke

No. 20 in North Carolina

  • Played quarterback for Southern Durham for most of 2025 but projects as a receiver at Duke.
  • Accounted for more than 2,500 total yards and 27 touchdowns as a junior.
  • Chose Duke over NC State, Florida State and Rutgers.
  • Becomes Duke’s fourth current Top-30 in-state commitment.
  • Joins fellow Southern Durham standout Lance Henderson in the Blue Devils’ class.

Robert Geathers III, S/LB, Florida

No. 24 in North Carolina (No. 19 Composite)

  • Comes from one of North Carolina’s most accomplished football families.
  • Father, grandfather and great-uncle all played in the NFL.
  • Recorded 72 tackles, eight pass breakups and two interceptions as a junior.
  • Picked Florida after taking official visits to USC, Tennessee and Vanderbilt.
  • Becomes the sixth Providence Day player committed to a Power Four program.

Khy’lieb Rodriguez, WR, NC State

No. 39 in North Carolina

  • Speedster owns reported 4.33-second and 4.39-second 40-yard dash times.
  • Broke Ardrey Kell’s school record in the 100 meters with a 10.56.
  • Caught 52 passes for 755 yards and nine touchdowns as a junior.
  • Commitment came less than two weeks after receiving his Wolfpack offer.
  • Gives NC State five current Top-40 in-state commitments.

Follow North Carolina football recruiting

NC Football News is tracking recruiting from both sides of the state’s football pipeline:

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