By R.L. Bynum
CHAPEL HILL — North Carolina added a massive commitment to its backcourt Tuesday as Dylan Mingo, one of the nation’s top combo guards in the Class of 2026, announced on ESPN’s “First Take” that he’ll be a Tar Heel.
The 6–5, 185-pound five-star star from Long Island Lutheran High School in Farmingdale, N.Y., instantly becomes one of the most important building blocks for Carolina.
“On my visit, I felt how family-oriented everything was,” Mingo said. “The coaches just made me feel welcome, the team was super-nice. I hung out with the team for a bit, so they were all connected. I didn’t feel any animosity and the legacy of North Carolina, I feel like that was a dream of mine since I was a kid.”
Mingo’s decision continues UNC’s recent trend of landing elite talent, after Caleb Wilson was the prize of the Tar Heels’ current freshman class, which includes point guard Derek Dixon. The other schools in his final four were Baylor, Penn State and Washington.
His brother Kayden Mingo is a freshman at Penn State and its second-highest scorer (13.9 points per game). But the Nittany Lions’ 11–15 record and questions about Coach Mike Rhoades’ future at the school probably hurt the school’s chances of luring Dylan Mingo. Rhoades is 43–47 in his third season.
“I say Penn State was second,” he said. “It’s super-hard to not play with your brother, to decline the option. But I just felt like North Carolina was what was best for me right now.”
Dylan Mingo is the No. 2 combo guard in the country and No. 5 overall player in the Class of 2026, according to the 247Sports Composite.
He describes himself as more than just a scorer, promising Carolina fans a complete player on both ends of the floor. “First off, they’re getting a winner,” Mingo said. “I’ll assure that we’re gonna win in North Carolina next year.”
Defensively, he believes his versatility will stand out immediately. “Second off, I’ll say a dog on defense,” Mingo said. “A person that’s versatile, that’s long, lanky, that could defend one through three, one through four. Offensively, I feel like I can pretty much do anything ”
Offensively, Mingo sees himself as a guard capable of doing it all, while modeling parts of his game after NBA stars.
“I would probably say Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander], just watching so much of his film,” he said. “He’s not as quick, but I think we have a lot of the same characteristics. And then second, I would say Cade Cunningham because of the guard he is.”
Mingo joins five-star 6–7, 205-pound small forward Maximo Adams from Northridge, Calif., in UNC’s Class of 2026. Adams will be on the West roster for the McDonald’s All-America game
Mingo boasts a wingspan of 6–9½, according to nbadraft.net, and is projected as a top-10 pick in the 2027 NBA draft. His elite length for a guard makes it easier for him to navigate traffic, disrupt passing lanes and guard multiple positions.
Mingo is a crafty, shifty ball-handler who is confident in the pick-and-roll and a three-level scorer comfortable playing on or off the ball.
Mingo’s rise has been fueled by standout performances on both the high school and national circuits. He earned NBPA Top 100 Camp MVP honors and was selected a MaxPreps Junior All-American, signaling to evaluators that he was more than just a highly ranked prospect.
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Photo via @_Dylanmingo
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