Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Where The Tar Heels Stand Following CJ Sadler's Commitment?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Caleb Sisk | Last updated Aug 16, 2025 11:30 AM ET

The North Carolina Tar Heels have landed many different commits in the 2026 recruiting class, including their newest addition, who came on Friday, as they landed their top remaining target in the class. That prospect is CJ Sadler.

Sadler is a two-way athlete from the state of Michigan who plays high school football at Cass Technical High School, and committed to the Tar Heels over many different schools that wanted him to commit. Some of these include the most intriguing teams in the nation.

One of the better teams worth noting is Michigan. The Tar Heels were able to pull in the commitment from the state of Michigan and away from the in-state program, and other programs like Colorado and Maryland.

Here is how the class looks for the North Carolina Tar Heels following Friday's addition of their top prospect that remained uncommitted, and one of their highest-rated players in the class.

247Sports - North Carolina (#17)

According to 247Sports, the North Carolina Tar Heels have landed the 17th-best class thus far, with 36 total commits at this time. They have many different high-level commits, as they have a total of 9 four-stars that are committed at this time, with the remainder of their 36 commits being three-stars. The Tar Heels have two players in the top 100.

They have the 65th-ranked player in the nation with quarterback Travis Burgess, as well as the 85th-ranked prospect in the nation with Michigan high school football two-way star CJ Sadler. Sadler is the most recent player to bump the Tar Heels' ranking in this class, which gained their second-best player in the class.

Rivals/On3 - North Carolina (#18)

According to the Rivals/On3 network, the Tar Heels boast an 18th-ranked class with many of their top commits being similar. The Tar Heels have 9 commits rated as four-star and have the remainder as three-star. The Tar Heels remain one of the better teams in their class, but one thing is worth mentioning, as Burgess isn't in the top two commits for the network.

He is rated as the 4th-highest rated prospect. The three prospects over him in the class include Sadler, Keeyun Chapman, and Ohio State flip commit Jakob Weathertspoon. The lowest-rated four-star in their class just so happens to be the Tennessee Volunteers' flip commit, Carson Sneed.

Please make sure you follow us today on our Facebook page when you click right here!

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: