UNC Football battling in-state rival for four-star wide receiver

The UNC Football program is in the mix for 2023 wide receiver Noah Rogers. Will they be able to beat an in-state rival to land a commitment from him?

Sports rivalries just don’t happen on the field. In college athletics, they occur often in recruiting battles for some of the top talents around.

This situation is no different, as the UNC football program has been actively recruiting 2023 four-star wide receiver Noah Rogers. According to 247 Sports Composite, Rogers is currently the No. 130 player in the country, and ranks second among all athletes in his class from the state of North Carolina.

Due to COVID-19, Rogers’ recruitment did not start to heat up until late March. On March 24, Mack Brown and the Tar Heels extended an official offer, which started a trend in which three other programs made offers over the following 72 hours.

The Tar Heels are not the only in-state program recruiting Rogers, as rival NC State is also very much in the mix. The Wolfpack offered Rogers a day after he received his offer from the Tar Heels.

Both programs may have an edge, as they possess personal connections that may impact Rogers recruiting process.

For the Wolfpack, they recently landed a commitment from quarterback Lex Thomas. The life-long friends grew up together, and Thomas is currently his quarterback for their 7-on-7 team, the Charlotte based Carolina Stars.

The Tar Heels have a family connection, as Noah’s brother Cyrus joined the program as a preferred walk-on in June. The brotherly connection could play a huge factor, as Noah will have an inside-look into the North Carolina football program.

Here’s what Rogers had to say in regards to his connections between both programs:

"Cyrus: “Me and my brother, we’re pretty similar. So I can see him telling me inside stuff, what I would like about it and everything … that’s a big opportunity to play for top-tier team at Carolina.”Thomas: “I see him putting in the work that other people don’t see. We came up together. That’s my bro … he hasn’t been in my ear yet about (N.C. State) because it’s pretty early, but I’m sure he will.”"

As of now, there is one Crystal Ball prediction for Rogers, and it favors the Wolfpack. However, there is plenty of time for Cyrus and the UNC football program to show Noah that Chapel Hill is the place to go.

Continue to follow the Keeping It Heel team for all the latest news and updates surrounding the UNC Football program.