EXCLUSIVE: Get to Know Tar Heels Commit Eli Rickell

The North Carolina Tar Heels have landed many different commits in the 2026 recruiting class. This includes someone like Eli Rickell who is one of the most talented players on the field, but what type of human is he off the green grass? He recently detailed his life away from the pigskin with North Carolina Tar Heels On SI.

"My faith is important to me, and I've always liked to help others. This past spring break, I served on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic. I try to help out my younger teammates and spend time growing relationships with the people around me. I also participate in the Hand-to-Hand program our school offers, where high schoolers help kindergartners with arts and crafts and read books. I take pride in my schoolwork; history has always been my favorite subject," the North Carolina Tar Heels commit stated when speaking to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI about his life outside of football.

The talented prospect has love for a lot of his hobbies.

"I love playing basketball and have played all three years of high school. It's definitely one of my favorite things to do in the offseason. I also enjoy playing the piano. I took a piano class the first semester of my junior year and really enjoyed it. I'm starting to learn how to play the guitar as well. I spend a lot of time eating. My Mom always makes good dinners that taste great and are healthy."

The talented prospect details his interests at this time.

"Being the best version of myself. I enjoy the process that goes into a football season and have always loved learning about ways to better my nutrition, recovery, strength, and technique. This offseason, I've been tracking my sleep with a Whoop, which has been great for me to learn my different habits and how they affect me. I've put in a lot of work this offseason, and I'm excited to see it pay off."

The talented prospect loves music like the rest of us, but what is his favorite type of music?

I enjoy listening to multiple genres, but my favorite is country. My favorite artist is Kenny Chesney. I used to play travel baseball growing up, and we spent a lot of time in the car. My dad and I would always listen to Kenny Chesney."

The talented prospect has plans on majoring in a specific field of work when it comes to college.

"I am planning on majoring in Business Management. I have always enjoyed being around people."

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