North Carolina Football Recruiting: Bill Belichick making waves in first cycle

Many of the initial questions surrounding North Carolina’s hiring of new head coach Bill Belichick had to do with recruiting in the new-age college football world: How would the persnickety former NFL skipper adjust to connecting with high schoolers? How would he handle wheeling and dealing on the NIL front?

As it turns out, the 73-year-old and his new staff in Chapel Hill are holding their own quite well on the trail. As UNC begins its first season under Belichick this fall, it continues to win recruiting battles, forming an impressive class.

As of Sept. 1, the Tar Heels have a jam-packed class, with 36 commitments already in the fold. That class ranks No. 18 nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Nine four-stars headline the class for Belichick and Co. At the top is Detroit Cass Tech four-star athlete CJ Sadler, the No. 1 recruit in Michigan. He’s the latest major addition to the class after pledging on Aug. 15.

Jackson (Ala.) four-star wide receiver Keeyun Chapman is a top-20 wideout and headlines the major wins for UNC in July. Bluffton (S.C.) WR Carnell Warren was a former Virginia Tech pledge and opted to join UNC’s class on July 9. Houston Cy Ranch linebacker Calvin Thomas committed three days later, while Avon (Ohio) safety Jakob Weatherspoon announced a surprising flip from Ohio State to the Tar Heels on July 16.

At the end of May, UNC landed Loganville (Ga.) Grayson quarterback Travis Burgess over Auburn and NC State. Burgess, an Elite 11 Finals participant, has seen his stock soar now ranks as the nation’s No. 14 signal-caller.

The entire North Carolina class to date can be seen below:

UNC Tar Heels commitments by position

Quarterback
Four-star Travis Burgess, No. 190 NATL. (No. 14 QB)

Running Back
Three-star Crew Davis, No. 602 NATL. (No. 37 RB)

Wide Receiver
Four-star Keeyun Chapman, No. 132 NATL. (No. 17 WR)
Four-star Carnell Warren, No. 258 NATL. (No. 46 WR)
Three-star O’Mari Johnson, No. 523 NATL. (No. 81 WR)
Three-star Kei’Maurii Miles, No. 1,111 NATL. (No. 158 WR)
Three-star Zamaurious Robertson, No. 1,227 NATL. (No. 171 WR)

Tight End
Four-star Carson Sneed, No. 371 NATL. (No. 17 TE)
Three-star Cooper McCutchan, No. 1,054 NATL. (No. 59 TE)

Interior Offensive Lineman
Three-star Will Conroy, No. 529 NATL. (No. 50 IOL)
Three-star Zion Smith, No. 573 NATL. (No. 58 IOL)
Three-star Anthony Hall, No. 713 NATL. (No. 68 IOL)
Three-star Mason Wilhelm, No. 1,134 NATL. (No. 102 IOL)
Three-star Eli Rickell, No. 1,180 NATL. (No. 105 IOL)

Offensive Tackle
Three-star Nick Fiumara, No. 922 NATL. (No. 69 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Four-star Trashawn Ruffin, No. 300 NATL. (No. 32 DL)
Three-star Viliami Moala, No. 440 NATL. (No. 43 DL)
Three-star Jimmy Alo-Suliafu, No. 589 NATL. (No. 63 DL)
Three-star David Jackson, No. 1,056 NATL. (No. 102 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Zavion Griffin-Haynes, No. 354 NATL. (No. 38 EDGE)
Three-star Ashton Blatt, No. 577 NATL. (No. 55 EDGE)
Three-star Lawrence Brown, No. 1,382 NATL. (No. 114 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Calvin Thomas, No. 312 NATL. (No. 22 LB)
Three-star Jayden Griffin-Haynes, No. 1,079 NATL. (No. 95 LB)

Cornerback
Three-star Jaden Jefferson, No. 638 NATL. (No. 61 CB)
Three-star Xavier Jackson, No. 655 NATL. (No. 64 CB)
Three-star Keegan Chapman, No. 740 NATL. (No. 70 CB)
Three-star Marcellous Ryan, No. 999 NATL. (No. 96 CB)

Safety
Four-star Jakob Weatherspoon, No. 176 NATL. (No. 17 S)
Three-star Jamarrion Gordon, No. 697 NATL. (No. 59 S)
Three-star Julian Burns, No. 754 NATL. (No. 69 S)
Three-star Darien Lewis, No. 1,209 NATL. (No. 118 S)

Athlete
Four-star CJ Sadler, No. 123 NATL. (No. 6 ATH)
Three-star Aveon Williams, No. 614 NATL. (No. 31 ATH)
Three-star Aidan Woods, No. 1,393 NATL. (No. 71 ATH)

Specialty
K David Green