UNC Football: Tar Heels pick up big Crystal Ball prediction for 5-star recruit

Does the UNC football program have an advantage in regards to the recruitment of this 5-star 2022 defensive lineman?

It’s no secret that Travis Shaw has been one of the most sought-after prospects in the class of 2022. The Greensboro, North Carolina native brought in 27 scholarship offers during his recruitment process, including some big name programs such as Alabama and Ohio State. As he prepares for his senior season of high school football, Shaw, the No. 9-ranked prospect in the class of 2022 according to 247 Sports Composite, has taken the next step in his recruiting process.

On June 15, Shaw released his final four schools that are still in contention for his commitment. It was good news for the UNC football program, as they made the cut along with Clemson, Georgia and North Carolina A&T.

Shaw has not officially announced when he will commit — it could be some time before he makes his final decision. However, there has been some recent traction that makes it seem like the two ACC schools in the mix have a bit of an upper-hand in his recruitment.

Prior to Shaw releasing his final four list, there were five Crystal Ball predictions that pointed in the Clemson Tigers’ favor. However, since his announcement, two additional Crystal Ball predictions have been released, one of which is in favor of the Tar Heels.

Clemson Insider expert Anna Hickey believes that Shaw will ultimately commit to the University of North Carolina. Hickey rated her confidence level as an eight, which is considered “high” on the Crystal Ball prediction confidence scale.

Of course, Crystal Ball predictions are not always correct. But based on her recent success, it could be very possible that Hickey may have some inside information on the situation.

So far, Hickey has gotten all eight of her previous Crystal Ball predictions for the class of 2022 correct. Overall, the Clemson Insider writer has made correct predictions on 153 of her 177 takes, which is good for an impressive 86.44 percent rate.

There are reports that Georgia is still very much in the mix, as Shaw went for an official visit on June 18. Although Georgia, along with North Carolina A&T, can’t be officially counted out, it looks like we may have another ACC battle on our hands.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates surrounding Travis Shaw’s recruitment, and everything on the UNC football program.