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North Carolina offers 2026 ATH Giulio Banchero, brother of former Duke basketball star

hunterby:Hunter Shelton•01/25/25•

HunterShelton_

Bill Belichick, UNC
© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick and the new staff at North Carolina has been busy on the recruiting trail this month, doling out offers and making visits across the nation.

On Friday, UNC defensive backs coach Armond Hawkins extended an offer to a 2026 prospect in the Pacific Northwest, though his last name will be very familiar to basketball fans in the Tar Heel State.

Seattle O’Dea athlete Guilio Banchero, the brother of former Duke basketball star and current Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, has picked up a big-time offer from North Carolina. He announced the offer while showcasing an old photo of Paulo and himself attending a UNC basketball game when they were children:

The tweet got a rise out of his brother, leading to a funny response from the All-Star. “We gon talk about this photo choice but congrats,” Paolo wrote.

The offer is just the second for Giulio Banchero, as UNC joins Montana State. Banchero plays both wide receiver and cornerback for O’Dea — which finished the 2024 season undefeated at 12-0, ranking No. 1 overall in the state of Washington, per the On3 Composite Rankings. Banchero caught 14 passes for 297 yards and five touchdowns in 2024, per MaxPreps.

Currently unranked in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies, Banchero is a three-star prospect according to 247Sports.

North Carolina making moves on the recruiting trail

UNC now has four commits in its 2026 recruiting class thanks to a trio of pledges from California defensive backs earlier this month.

In the span of three days, Gardena Junipero Serra three-star cornerback Marcellous Ryan, Los Angeles Rancho Cucamonga three-star CB Justin Lewis and Concord De La Salle three-star CB Jaden Jefferson all joined the fold in Chapel Hill. Ryan is the lone top-500 prospect in the class.

They joined Charlotte Providence Day three-star quarterback Zaid Lott, the lone prospect in the class who stayed pledged to UNC amidst the head coaching change from Mack Brown to Belichick. Lott is the No. 45 QB in the cycle.

Plenty of offers to blue-chip recruits have been sent out across a hectic January, but Banchero’s name will be one to watch given the ties to the state and his brother’s one electric season at Durham for the rival Blue Devils.