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Carolina found itself in the pro draft elite again.
UNC joins Michigan and Arizona as the three schools to have at least one athlete drafted in the first round of their respective professional drafts. Michigan actually has six, including a first rounder in the NHL draft.
The Tar Heels had Omarion Hampton, Drake Powell and Luke Stevenson selected in the first rounds of the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball drafts, respectively. Hampton was picked by the Los Angeles Chargers at No. 22; Powell wound up with the Brooklyn Nets on the 22nd pick after originally tabbed and traded by Atlanta; catcher Luke Stevenson was the 26th Tar Heel baseball player to go in the first round when drafted 35th by the Seattle Mariners.
This is the third time Carolina has pulled off the trifecta, the last time in 2009 when wide receiver Hakeem Nicks went 29th to the New York Giants. Tyler Hansbrough and national champion teammates Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington were all drafted in the NBA’s first round. Baseball’s Dustin Ackley was also a first-round pick that year.
All of the 2009ers had only average success as pros. In seven seasons on three NBA teams, Hansbrough’s average stats were 6.7 points and 4.2 rebounds. He then played in China for a few years, with better stats and making enough money for his net worth to be estimated now at $20 million.
The first time UNC had such a first-round bonanza was 1984, when Michael Jordan went third overall to the Chicago Bulls; offensive tackle Brian Blados was the 28th, and last, first-round pick by the Bengals in the NFL Draft. And in baseball, pitcher Scott Bankhead was the 16th player picked by the Kansas City Royals.
Arizona had the second highest 2025 draft pick among the three schools when wide receiver Tetairoa McMillen went on the eighth pick to the Panthers. The Wildcats also had 6-8 Carter Bryant as the 14th pick in the NBA Draft by San Antonio and outfielder Brendan Summerhill as the 42nd pick by Tampa Bay in the MLB Draft.
Of the three schools, Michigan had the highest pick in the NFL Draft, defensive tackle Mason Graham at No. 5 to the Cleveland Browns, plus tight end Colston Loveland with the 10th pick by the Chicago Bears; and DT Kenneth Grant with the 13th pick by the Dolphins.
In basketball, 7-foot transfer Danny Wolf went 27th to the Nets, where he joins UNC’s Powell. And in baseball, Michigan infielder Mitch Voit went to the Mets with the 38th pick. The Wolverines’ first-rounder in the NHL draft was center Will Horcoff, at No. 24 to the Penguins.
Just after the UNC NCAA women’s soccer championship, the National Women’s Soccer League scrapped its 2025 draft. As for the 2025 national champion women’s lacrosse team, two Humphrey sisters combined for 19 ACC and national honors, including the Honda Sport player of the year, redshirt freshman Chloe.
Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications
Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
