UNC lands 5-star guard Dylan Mingo commitment over Baylor, Penn State and Washington

Five-star guard Dylan Mingo has committed to North Carolina, he announced on ESPN’s “First Take” on Tuesday morning.

Mingo — the No. 5 player in the 2026 class in the 247Sports Composite — picked the Tar Heels over fellow finalists Baylor, Washington and Penn State.

The 6-foot-5 lead guard from Long Island Lutheran in New York becomes UNC’s highest-ranked recruit and second signee in the 2026 class, joining four-star wing Maximo Adams (No. 25 overall). Mingo’s brother, Kayden, is a freshman at Penn State who is averaging 13.9 points per game.

Mingo’s commitment is the latest recruiting win for Hubert Davis, who has now signed at least one five-star prospect in four consecutive classes, while re-establishing the Tar Heels as key players on the grassroots trail. At 6 feet 5 with a 6-foot-10 wingspan, Mingo has ideal size for a combo guard, continuing Davis’ increasing preference for positional size across his lineup. (This season, UNC is the fourth-tallest team in Division I.) That makes Mingo a tremendous rebounder, something Davis desires from his backcourt. He averaged 7.8 boards last summer at the highest level of grassroots basketball. That length also allows him to be a disruptive defender capable of steals and deflections on the ball.

But the biggest swing skill for Mingo, and what will determine his eventual upside in college and beyond, is his shooting. He made only 23 percent of his 3s across 13 grassroots games last summer and will likely need to refine his jump shot mechanics once he arrives in Chapel Hill. Mingo can still be an effective scorer despite his shaky jumper — he averaged 19.3 points per game last summer — but becoming more of a perimeter threat will only serve him and the Tar Heels better.

Beyond his scoring chops, Mingo has shown strong instincts in navigating ball-screen scenarios, although he’ll also need to tighten his handle and curb some of his turnovers at the high-major level.

With senior guard Seth Trimble out of eligibility after this season, it’s possible that Mingo and current freshman Derek Dixon combine to create North Carolina’s new-look backcourt in 2026-27.