UNC Basketball Recruiting: Tar Heels are frontrunner for G.G. Jackson

With a commitment from five-star power forward Gregory “G.G.” Jackson, the UNC basketball recruiting class of 2023 would be one of the nation’s best.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are vying for a commitment from Gregory “G.G.” Jackson, the No. 1-ranked recruit in the class of 2023, and it appears that they’re in the perfect position to do just that.

The Tar Heels are already the betting favorite to land Jackson according to just about every major recruiting outlet and all of the buzz in recent weeks surrounding him and his upcoming commitment seems to suggest the same. If it’s confirmation of that or just a bit of reassurance that UNC fans are looking for, they got it on Wednesday afternoon from our friend Marc Ryan of The Fan Upstate.

North Carolina fans will recall that it was Ryan’s late-March interview with Ridge View High School head coach, Yerrick Stoneman, that made it clear that Jackson’s college choice isn’t one about the next four years as much as it is a “40-year decision.” The latest from Ryan has me as convinced as ever that Jackson’s commitment is the Tar Heels’ to lose.

“Up three strokes with three holes to play” is how Jackson’s recruitment was described to Ryan in an off-air conversation Wednesday. The unnamed source, one very close to the situation, stated that North Carolina is the leader in the clubhouse, with Duke in second place and South Carolina a distant third.

I spoke briefly with Ryan on Wednesday and he doubled down both on his tweet and the correlating conversation he had with the source, noting that he expects Jackson to commit to North Carolina in the near future.

Jackson’s commitment to the Tar Heels would be important on multiple levels. First, it would signal that North Carolina recruiting is right where it’s expected to be, despite the fact that Roy Williams is gone and Hubert Davis is just in his second year at the helm in Chapel Hill. Perhaps, more importantly, it would fill an immediate need in the Tar Heels’ frontcourt following the likely departure of Armando Bacot.

Jackson’s recruitment is widely believed to be winding down and I wouldn’t be surprised if he announces his decision within the next week or so. We’ll continue to follow it at every turn and keep UNC fans apprised of all the latest.

*Marc Ryan is the Assistant Program Director for The Fan Upstate. His show, Offsides with Marc Ryan, is broadcast via CBS Sports affiliate and airs Monday through Friday from 3:00-7:00 p.m. EST.

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