4-star WR Carnell Warren commits to North Carolina

Bluffton (S.C.) four-star wide receiver Carnell Warren has committed to North Carolina, he tells Rivals.

Warren decommitted from Virginia Tech last month and has now chosen the Tar Heels over myriad other Power Four offers in a big win for head coach Bill Belichick and Co.

“I’m committed to UNC…The staff is one of the best of the best,” Warren told Rivals. “To be developed and ready for the NFL…It is the best fit for me in all situations. And it gives me a chance to change everything around in four years.”

He is the No. 272 overall prospect and No. 46 WR in the 2026 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies. He’s also the No. 6 player in North Carolina.

Warren gives the Tar Heels another big WR pledge as he now sits atop the class alongside fellow four-star WR Keeyun Chapman. Mississippi State and Pittsburgh were among the other programs looking to get involved with the Palmetto State pass-catcher.

The blue-chipper didn’t know much about the ACC program before logging his official visit to Chapel Hill. He quickly learned that UNC was the place for him at the next level.

“All glory to god. My recruitment is shut down! Chapel Hill let’s go,” Warren wrote on X.

North Carolina’s 2026 class ranks inside the top 20 of the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. The class now features five four-star prospects: Warren, Chapman, four-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin, four-star quarterback Travis Burgess and four-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes.

Warren and Chapman are two of five receivers in the UNC class, alongside O’Mari Johnson, Kei’Maurii Miles and Zamaurious Robertson.