In 2024-25, the North Carolina Tar Heels will welcome the No. 10 ranked recruiting class in the country according to 247Sports. This incoming group, while small in number, has national attention already peeled on the immediate impact to be made. Ian Jackson and Drake Powell are both five star top-10 prospects and will enter Chapel Hill with large shoes to fill. This duo, who will also be joined by James Brown, makes up one of the best Tar Heel recruiting classes in recent years.
Ian Jackson typically receives the bulk of the coverage as the premier incoming freshman for North Carolina, but Drake Powell has solidified himself amongst the elite of the 2024 class as well, and experts are taking notice.
Travis Branham, National Basketball Analyst for 247Sports, named Powell as the No. 1 defender in the class in Branham’s annual class superlatives. Nicknamed in the write-up as “The Clamps,” Powell was recognized and praised for his elite blend of size, length, and athleticism with ability to create havoc on the defensive end.
“If you’re looking for a stopper in the 2024 class, look no further than Drake Powell. The 6-foot-5 wing is a premier athlete with elite lateral quickness, long arms, a high motor and the conditioning of a guy that never gets tired.”
Branham is not the first to take notice of Powell’s elite defensive presence, and his late surge into the top slots of many recruiting rankings result from his elite ability to defend at a consistent rate. Powell is scouted to have a raw offensive skillset, but as many have praised him for, he possesses a high basketball IQ that presumably carves out minutes for him at all levels.
As Hubert Davis and the Tar Heels are still searching for pieces in the transfer portal, Drake Powell continues to be a guy some overlook as an impact player right off the bat. North Carolina should be excited about what they have in the incoming freshman, and he should fit in well with an already balanced roster on a team with high expectations.
The full story from Travis Branham and 247Sports can be found here.
