BREAKING: Five-star Guard Myles Stute Commits to North Carolina Over…
In a stunning turn of events that has sent shockwaves through the college basketball world, five-star guard Myles Stute has committed to the University of North Carolina.
Wait. No, he hasn’t.
If you are reading a headline that says Myles Stute is heading to Chapel Hill, you are reading fake news. In fact, the exact opposite of that headline has been true for the last three years.
Here is the real story on one of the most resilient veterans in the SEC.
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The Veteran Who Stayed Put
While the transfer portal spins wildly out of control every off-season, Myles Stute is not part of the chaos. The 6-foot-7, 215-pound sharpshooter is currently preparing for the 2025-2026 season exactly where he has been since 2023: with the South Carolina Gamecocks .
Following a terrifying health scare that cut his 2024-2025 campaign short, Stute was granted a medical hardship waiver by the NCAA and has been medically cleared to return to Columbia for what will be his sixth season of college basketball .
Here is the definitive timeline of Stute’s career and why he isn’t going to UNC, Duke, or Kansas.
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The Blood Clot Scare
To understand why Stute is still in a South Carolina uniform, you have to go back to January 2025. Stute had started 14 games for the Gamecocks, including a spectacular performance against rival Clemson where he poured in 19 points on 5-of-7 shooting from three-point range .
But after a loss to Mississippi State on January 4, everything changed. On January 7, the program announced that Stute would be out indefinitely. He had been diagnosed with a deep vein thrombosis (blood clot) in his left lower leg .
For an athlete whose identity is defined by “hooping,” the diagnosis was devastating.
“I remember when they told me that, they told me I couldn’t even work out. I couldn’t do anything. I couldn’t elevate my heart rate,” Stute recalled during the team’s media day. “When they told me that news, I was just really hurt. That’s my identity.”
For three and a half months, Stute was forced into complete physical inactivity. He couldn’t lift weights. He couldn’t run. All he could do was watch film—an experience he credits with giving him a new perspective on the game .
The Return to South Carolina
There was a moment in the spring of 2025 when Stute wasn’t sure he would ever play again. But on May 1, the university officially announced the news Stute had been screaming about: he was cleared by doctors and the NCAA to return for the 2025-2026 season .
“I just remember screaming as loud as I could, honestly,” Stute told reporters after getting the call from head coach Lamont Paris. “I was so, so excited.”
Rather than entering the transfer portal—which he could have done given the extra year of eligibility—Stute recommitted to the Gamecocks. He signed a deal with the Garnet Trust, South Carolina’s official NIL collective, signaling his intent to finish his career where he started his SEC journey after transferring from Vanderbilt .
Career Stats: The Shooter in the Corner
So, if a website is telling you Stute is a “five-star” recruit heading to North Carolina, they are mixing him up with a high school prospect. Stute is a veteran role player known for his ability to space the floor.
Here is the reality of Stute’s production, having played 159 career games across Vanderbilt and South Carolina :
· Career Averages: 7.1 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
· 3-Point Marksman: He shoots 36.5% from beyond the arc for his career.
· The Vanderbilt Peak (2021-22): He shot an elite 43.2% from three-point range during his sophomore year with the Commodores .
· The Clemson Explosion (2024): In the upset win over the Tigers, Stute hit 5-of-7 threes, showcasing his ability to win a game when he gets hot .
At 23 years old, Stute isn’t a raw prospect; he is a known commodity. He is a catch-and-shoot wing who brings 215 pounds of muscle to the defensive end .
The 2025-2026 Season
As of the 2025-2026 season, Stute remains a vital part of Lamont Paris’s rotation. He is no longer just a shooter; he is an elder statesman on a team looking to return to the NCAA Tournament after missing it in 2025.
“It’s nothing but a blessing just to be back out there doing what I love to do, and playing the game that I love with the guys I love to be around,” Stute said .
Head coach Lamont Paris has raved about Stute’s leadership, noting that the perspective gained from nearly losing his career has transformed him into a calming presence for the younger players .
How to Spot Fake Recruiting News
This isn’t the first time a fake recruiting headline has gone viral, and it won’t be the last. Here is why the “Stute to UNC” headline doesn’t hold water:
1. Eligibility: Stute is using his COVID year (his 6th season) at South Carolina. He is not a high school senior in the class of 2026.
2. The Timeline: Stute transferred from Vanderbilt to South Carolina in April 2023 . He has been a Gamecock for three years.
3. The Health Factor: Stute just fought back from a life-threatening blood clot to stay with the program that supported him .
Conclusion
Myles Stute is not going to North Carolina. He isn’t going to Duke. He isn’t even in the transfer portal.
The five-star guard from Washington, D.C., is a Gamecock. After a terrifying health scare that threatened to end his career, he is “running it back” in Columbia, looking to be the veteran anchor for Lamont Paris .
If you see a headline claiming otherwise, you can file it under “March Madness”—just six months early and entirely fictional.
