The interest is real: North Carolina extends offer to a Class of 2026 five-star

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

Just a few days ago, it was reported that the UNC basketball program was one of the most recent schools to show interest in five-star talent Qayden Samuels.

Now, there's no denying the interest, as Samuels has earned an offer from North Carolina.

Dushawn London, the National Basketball Recruiting Analyst for 247Sports, was the first to report the latest offer from Hubert Davis and the UNC basketball program. With the offer to Samuels, North Carolina has now extended offers to 11 players from the 2026 recruiting class.

In case you missed our last article about Samuels (which can be found here): the rising senior is a 6-foot-5, 200-pound small forward from District Heights, Maryland. A standout from Bishop McNamara High School, Samuel currently ranks as the No. 20 overall prospect in the 247Sports Class of 2026 rankings and is regarded as the top-ranked basketball player from his home state.

As London mentioned in his tweet, Samuels is coming off another big week, showcasing his talents at the NBPA Top 100 Camp. For his efforts, Samuels was named a first-team honoree, showing just how strong of a performance he put together while competing against some of the country's top talents.

With already over 20 scholarship offers to his name, Samuels is quickly rising up the recruiting boards. Given his recent stretch of performances, don't be shocked to hear more programs throw their name into the mix, as Samuels is a player who could find himself making a major jump in the rankings over the next couple of months.

The UNC basketball program has emphasized the need for depth on the wing, a position that the left-handed shooting Samuels would fit very nicely in. Now that the offer is on the table, Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels will look to add this talented prospect to its 2026 recruiting class.