One of North Carolina's primary recruiting targets is off the board.
Toni Bryant, a top-20 recruit in the Class of 2026, announced his commitment to Missouri. This announcement came following his official visit to Chapel Hill just a week prior.
NEWS: 2026 Top-20 recruit Toni Bryant has committed to Missouri, source told @Rivals.
— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) September 8, 2025
The 6-10 power forward chose the Tigers over North Carolina, NC State, Arizona, and others. https://t.co/xJUZoiiUqm pic.twitter.com/wBfngeosgd
Throughout the process, the belief around the industry was that Missouri had the upper-hand in Bryant's recruitment. This didn't stop Hubert Davis and company from trying, hosting him for an official visit that they hoped would help sway his decision.
Unfortunately, that did not occur.
Now, the UNC basketball program will pivot, as is the case when any program misses out on a top-tier talent on the recruiting trail. Some names to keep an eye on that also are considered forwards that North Carolina has been linked to include Cameron Williams, Miikka Muurinen, and Quinn Costello, all of whom are still available on the recruiting market.
Before everyone panics that the UNC basketball program missed out on a top-tier recruit, don't worry: there's plenty of time to operate on the recruiting trail. The 2026 recruiting class still has plenty of talent available, as North Carolina will now shift its focus to other potential fits for the program moving forward.
Sure, fans were hopeful after pictures of Bryant surfaced from his official visit to campus, but the recruiting pitch wasn't enough to lure him to Chapel Hill.
In the world of recruiting, you lose more than you win. It's just how it is.