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North Carolina basketball 5-star recruit Caleb Williams has yet to see a single second of action in college basketball, but he's apparently already winning — off the court.
Wilson, who is also viewed as among the top names to watch for the NBA draft in 2026, has reportedly inked a massive shoe deal, per Shams Charania of ESPN.
“North Carolina's Caleb Wilson, a projected 2026 NBA draft lottery pick, has signed a multiyear, multimillion-dollar shoe endorsement deal with New Balance, sources tell ESPN,” Charania shared in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The NIL deal with New Balance could just the start of more product endorsements to come for Wilson, especially once he reaches the pros.
But for now, his focus is on preparing for his freshman season with North Carolina basketball. The Tar Heels landed Wilson's commitment despite him getting a ton of offers from other programs. Among the other schools that put offers on the table for him were the Ohio State Buckeyes, Tennessee Volunteers, Kentucky Wildcats, Alabama Crimson Tide, Kansas Jayhawks, TCU Horned Frogs, Oregon Ducks and North Carolina's fierce rivals, Duke Blue Devils. The Wildcats and the Buckeyes, along with the Tar Heels, were the final three schools on Wilson's list before making his decision to take his talents to Chapel Hill, a destination of other intriguing new talents as well in the offseason.
“I picked North Carolina because of their culture and the history of the program,” Wilson said of the Tar Heels back in January (h/t Jeff Borzello Paul Biancardi of ESPN). “They were my first blue blood [offer]. Last year I went to the Duke at UNC game. I was courtside and it was a great experience. It was everything I was looking for in a program.”
A 6-9 forward who played high school basketball for Holy Innocents Episcopal School in Atlanta, Wilson is expected to use his athleticism and ability to make plays on both ends of the court for North Carolina basketball, which won 23 games against 14 losses in Hubert Davis' fourth season as head coach for the storied ACC hoops program.
During his time at Holy Innocents Episcopal School, Wilson became a McDonald’s All-American and got the Mr. Georgia Basketball honor in 2025. He put up averages of 21.6 points, 11.1 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 3.6 blocks, and 2.1 steals per game, as he helped show the way to the state title for his school.
