UNC Commit Dylan Mingo Reopens Recruitment After Hubert Davis Firing, Top Landing Spots for 5-Star

Dylan Mingo, a 5-star prospect who originally committed to North Carolina, is reopening his recruitment.

Per ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Mingo is back on the market after pledging his commitment to the Tar Heels in February. North Carolina fired head coach Hubert Davis in March and hired Michael Malone last week.

Mingo is the No. 5 overall player in the class of 2026, according to 247Sports' composite rankings. With most top recruits having made their decisions, Mingo is the top player available in the class.

As for where Mingo could end up, he visited Washington, Miami, UConn, Alabama, NC State and Baylor in the fall, so those schools likely have a leg up at the moment. He also visited Penn State, though his older brother, Kayden, recently entered the transfer portal after one season with the Nittany Lions.

Mingo's departure could leave North Carolina in a tough spot for Malone's first season. The Tar Heels only have one player signed out of the class of 2026 and have only added one player through the portal so far.

North Carolina has also had seven players exit via the transfer portal, and its best player, Caleb Wilson, has declared for the draft.

The good news for the Tar Heels is that there are still plenty of talented players remaining in the transfer portal. In fact, seven of the top 10 players on 247's transfer rankings have yet to land with a new school.

That means that once Malone is settled in, he can get to work trying to lure talent to Chapel Hill. While he has no experience as a basketball coach at the college level, plenty of players likely want the chance to play for a coach who led an NBA team to a championship just three years ago.