UNC Basketball: The latest on target Walker Kessler and reclassifying

UNC Basketball recruiting target Walker Kessler could be a candidate to reclassify from 2020 to 2019 and it’s something to keep an eye on

It was just last week when the North Carolina Tar Heels officially offered class of 2020 center Walker Kessler with a scholarship. Head coach Roy Williams watched Kessler for two-straight days at the end of January and then rewarded the prospect with the offer.

Kessler has become a big target in the 2020 recruiting class for UNC but there’s a chance he could enter the college game even earlier.

There have been some rumblings that Kessler could reclassify to the 2019 recruiting class, which would be a significant move. For now, nothing is concrete but it’s certainly an option.

Scout recruiting analyst Evan Daniels talked about this in his recent #AskEvan mailbag he wrote, saying it was bleak but remains a possibility:

"The truth is I hadn’t heard much, if any, rumblings on Walker Kessler potentially reclassifying until this week. So the likelihood of it happening seems bleak, although certainly a possibility. I think Walker Kessler is an elite prospect in the 2020 class and is certainly worthy of an North Carolina or an offer from any other school in the country. In terms of 2019, Kessler is certainly of high major scholarship offers in that class as well, but UNC does have a post prospect in Armando Bacot already on board."

The Tar Heels would love to add at least one more player to their 2019 class, presumably on the wing but they wouldn’t turn down another five-star post player. UNC already has five-star Armando Bacot and three-star Jeremiah Francis sign in 2019 but Williams has been working hard on the recruiting trail.

As for Kessler staying in 2020, the Tar Heels have center Day’Ron Sharpe verbally committed and are off to a good start in the class. Adding someone like Kessler would be huge in the post for the Tar Heels.

Kessler currently has 23 offers, including his latest from UNC. He’s drawn significant interest from several big programs and just visited Duke over the weekend.

He’s made four visits now and has one left in his recruitment, so there’s still a chance the Tar Heels could get him on campus for an official.

For now, UNC’s interest is still strong with the recruit even though he hasn’t taken a visit. His recruitment is certainly something to keep an eye on in the coming months.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for the latest on UNC basketball recruiting targets.