Bill Belichick secures major win over Ryan Day as 4-star safety flips commitment to North Carolina 

Four-star safety Jakob Weatherspoon flipped his commitment from Ohio State to Bill Belichick's North Carolina on Wednesday. The Ohio standout from Avon High School initially committed to the Buckeyes in January as Ryan Day's program was on its run to winning a national championship.

“SCO Tar Heels," Weatherspoon told Rivals' Hayes Fawcett following his flip.

Ohio State secondary coach Tim Walton led Weatherspoon’s recruitment and made a strong impression, as Weatherspoon shared with Eleven Warriors:

“It was about him telling us what he actually does instead of what people think, and he was showing us his history and how he’s been connected with Ohio State since 1989, so he knows the school well. He showed us some video calls with former players, a few former players sent some over, so we watched those and got some good chatting in.”

Penn State, Notre Dame and Michigan were among the other programs in contention for the 5-foot-11, 170-pound prospect before his commitment to Ohio State. North Carolina offered him in February, and he took an official visit to Chapel Hill the weekend of June 6.

Weatherspoon also visited Ohio State again just before the Summer Dead Period, but Day couldn’t hold onto his commitment. With his departure, OSU’s 2026 recruiting class is now down to 20 commitments. The Buckeyes still hold pledges from two top safeties: Blaine Bradford (ranked No. 2) and Simeon Caldwell (No. 8), per 247Sports Composite.

Day and his staff may still add another defensive back, as cornerback Bralan Womack is expected to announce his decision on Aug. 22. Ohio State remains in his final four, along with Texas A&M and Auburn.

North Carolina's 2026 class update following Jakob Weatherspoon's commitment

As a junior in the 2024 season, Jakob Weatherspoon played a key role in leading Avon High to an undefeated record and the OHSAA Region 6 State Championship. The 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 178 prospect in the nation, the No. 14 safety in the 2026 class and the No. 9 recruit in Ohio.

With his commitment, Weatherspoon becomes Bill Belichick's second-highest commit in the 2026 class, behind four-star wide receiver Keeyun Chapman. His decision also moves North Carolina up in the 247Sports Team Rankings, from No. 20 to No. 17.

The Tar Heels have secured commitments from eight four-star recruits in this cycle, including Chapman, Weatherspoon, quarterback Travis Burgess, safety Jamarion Gordon, edge rusher Zavion Griffin-Haynes, defensive tackle Trashawn Ruffin, linebacker Calvin Thomas and wide receiver Carnell Warren.

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