UNC firmly in the mix for a 2027 five-star whose recruitment starts to heat up

What we've learned during the Courtney Banghart era with regard to recruiting is simple:

The UNC women's basketball program will be a strong competitor for some of the top high school and transfer portal players available.

Building off a recruiting cycle that brought No. 1-ranked talent Kate Harpring to Chapel Hill, Banghart and her staff have shown no signs of slowing down. In fact, they've been linked to some of the top 2027 recruits available, making noise in notable recruitments as they work to bring even more elite talent to North Carolina.

Courtney Banghart and UNC set to face a competitive non-conference slate in 2026-27

Now, another five-star talent is strongly considering the Tar Heels, seemingly narrowing her list of schools down with her latest social media post.

Azariah Jackson set to take an official visit to North Carolina

Azariah Jackson, ranked as the No. 19 overall prospect in the Class of 2027 in the latest SportsCenter Next Top 100 rankings, revealed that she will be taking five official visits as her AAU career wraps up.

Fortunately, North Carolina is one of two ACC programs to earn a visit.

The Tar Heels are currently competing with the likes of Cal, Indiana, Kansas, and USC for the 6-foot-4 forward from Bonney Lake, Washington. These appear to be the five schools that she is focusing on as her recruitment starts to heat up.

Courtney Banghart and UNC among the finalists for an elite five-star 2027 recruit

If you haven't seen Jackson in action, she isn't your typical 6-foot-4 forward. In fact, she should be considered more of a "point forward," as her ball handling skills are very impressive for a player of her size.

Yes, she uses her size to beat her opponents in the post, but she's able to do so much more than just that. In the clip below, you'll see a little taste of everything Jackson can do on the court, including knocking down some fadeaway mid-range shots, draining three-pointers, and, even more impressively, knocking down buzzer-beaters from near half-court.

The brief glimpse in the video above goes to show why she's regarded as a five-star talent. It also makes a ton of sense that Banghart and the Tar Heels love her game, as she has a high motor and plays the way North Carolina wants its forwards to play.

It's very hard to find players with Alyssa Ustby-like motor and athleticism who can shoot the basketball like a true guard. Azariah Jackson can do that and has proven that.

Azariah Jackson is another name to keep an eye on as the 2027 recruiting cycle ramps up over the upcoming weeks. Based on past history, expect North Carolina to strike big on the high school recruiting trail, likely bringing in a pair or even a trio of top-tier talents to add to an already impressive roster in Chapel Hill.

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