Peach Jam will unfortunately go on without one of the top-ranked players that the Class of 2026 has to offer.
Five-star talent Tajh Ariza, ranked by 247Sports Composite as the No. 7 overall rated player in the class, will be forced to miss the remainder of the summer (most notably Peach Jam) as he recovers from injury.
While not being able to finish out his EYBL and AAU career, Ariza is focusing on two areas: rehab and recruitment.
The rising senior is doing everything he can to get back to full strength as soon as possible, but is also using the time away from playing to focus more on finding his future home. With this in mind, Ariza has scheduled four official visits, one of which will bring him to Chapel Hill.
Five-star Tajh Ariza may be out for the Peach Jam, but he's far from down and is working to come back better than ever. He goes in depth with @247Sports on his process, getting better and the visits he's set up (VIP) https://t.co/6yFNYwe595 pic.twitter.com/l52vIwc9jZ
— Eric Bossi (@ebosshoops) July 11, 2025
Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program are scheduled to host the Bellflower, California native on September 12. As of now, North Carolina is slated to be Ariza's second stop, following his trip to Oregon a week earlier.
Along with Oregon and North Carolina, Ariza is also going to visit USC (September 20) and Texas (date to be determined).
The UNC basketball program extended an offer Ariza's way on June 19. Not even a month later, Ariza is slated to visit campus this fall, a good sign that there's plenty of mutual interest in this potential partnership.
It's important to remember that Hubert Davis had the ability to coach Ariza during the recent USA Basketball minicamp. This opportunity for the two to work closely together seems to have strengthened their relationship, which could certainly help convince the five-star talent that playing for Davis at the college ranks is the right decision.
When it comes to recruiting, sometimes you jump in the mix a little to late. However, in this case, North Carolina was able to pick up ground, as their presence in this recruitment is definitely something to keep an eye on.
While USC might still be the favorite (given he would have the ability to stay close to home), don't rule out Hubert Davis and North Carolina just yet- they could be a darkhorse to change the narrative of his recruitment.