North Carolina football recruiting tracker: Top Commits, offers & visits (2025-2026)

Bill Belichick is set to enter his first season as coach for the North Carolina Tar Heels. He joined the team on Dec. 11, 2024, on a five-year $50 million deal. Last year, the Tar Heels finished the season with a 6-7 record under former coach Mack Brown.

The former New England Patriots coach wants to bring his championship mentality to his new team. Soon after he agreed to join North Carolina, Belichick started recruiting players for the 2025 season. He signed 11 freshmen out of high school, including Bryce Baker, to join the team for his first year.

Baker can potentially be the Tar Heels' starting quarterback for the upcoming season. He is competing against Ryan Browne and Max Johnson to start for North Carolina's new era with Belichick.

Belichick is also looking towards the future by recruiting prospects for the 2026 season.

North Carolina Tar Heels 2026 overview

247Sports reports that 14 players have committed to play for Belichick next year. The most recent prospect to commit to North Carolina was tight end Cooper McCutchan on May 7. McCutchan is currently attending Archbishop Moeller High School.

Here are the team's other top commits and who they have offered to join for the 2026 season.

Top Commits

Trashwan Ruffin

Trashwan Ruffin could be a good addition to the Tar Heels to bolster their defense. He decided to commit to the team on March 17. 247Sports has the defensive lineman as the only four-star recruit who has agreed to play for Belichick next year.

Ruffin will finish his last year with the North Duplin High School Rebels. According to MaxPreps, he had 34 total tackles (nine solo) in his junior year.

O'Mari Johnson

O'Mari Johnson is another player who could contribute to the team's defense in the 2026 season. The cornerback agreed to play for the Tar Heels on April 6. He will finish his senior year at Jackson Academy.

It's worth noting that he has visits scheduled with the Mississippi State Bulldogs on June 20. Despite his commitment to Belichick, Mississippi State will try to convince Johnson to reconsider.

Crew Davis

Crew Davis is so far the only running back who has committed to the program for next year. He chose to join the team on Feb. 2. Davis will finish his senior year at the Iona Preparatory School. The running back had 127 carries for 1350 yards and 16 touchdowns in his junior year.

Notable Offers

Landon Duckworth

Belichick seems interested in adding another quarterback to his roster. The team has made an offer to Landon Duckworth but hasn't scheduled a visit yet. North Carolina is competing with other teams like the Ole Miss Rebels, who have offered and set a visit for June 20.

The quarterback will play another season with the Jackson High School Aggies before transitioning to college football.

Savion Hiter

Savion Hiter is another running back on the Tar Heels' radar. They have made him an offer without a visit planned. Hiter has gained interest from several teams in the league, including the Ohio State Buckeyes and Michigan Wolverines. Both programs will meet with the running back in June.

Hiter will play his senior year with the Louisa County High School Lions.

Jayden Petit

Jayden Petit could be a potential wide receiver for North Carolina. He received an offer and has a visit scheduled for June 13. Petit will play another season for the First Baptist Academy Lions before starting college football.

The Wisconsin Badgers are one of the teams looking to lure Petit away from the former Super Bowl winner's program. Washington will meet with the wide receiver on May 30 to convince him to sign with them.

North Carolina's recent visits

The last prospect to visit the Tar Heels was tight end Carson Sneed on April 25. Sneed committed to the Tennessee Volunteers on Aug. 5, 2024. It's possible Belichick could convince the tight end to change his mind. Sneed will meet with the Volunteers on June 20 to determine his options.