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 gears up for its first season under Belichick this fall, it continues to win recruiting battles, forming an impressive class.

As of July 27, the Tar Heels have a jam-packed class, with 33 commitments already in the fold. That class ranks No. 20 nationally, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.

Seven four-stars headline the class for Belichick and Co. At the top is Jackson (Ala.) wide receiver Keeyun Chapman, a top-20 wideout and the No. 8 player in Alabama. He joined the class this month, as did three other blue-chippers.

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 ahead of his senior campaign and 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. 191 NATL. (No. 14 QB)

Running Back
Three-star Crew Davis, No. 599 NATL. (No. 37 RB)

Wide Receiver
Four-star Keeyun Chapman, No. 133 NATL. (No. 17 WR)
Four-star Carnell Warren, No. 259 NATL. (No. 46 WR)
Three-star O’Mari Johnson, No. 521 NATL. (No. 81 WR)
Three-star Kei’Maurii Miles, No. 1,100 NATL. (No. 158 WR)
Three-star Zamaurious Robertson, No. 1,215 NATL. (No. 171 WR)

Tight End
Three-star Cooper McCutchan, No. 1,045 NATL. (No. 57 TE)

Interior Offensive Lineman
Three-star Will Conroy, No. 527 NATL. (No. 50 IOL)
Three-star Zion Smith, No. 571 NATL. (No. 58 IOL)
Three-star Anthony Hall, No. 709 NATL. (No. 68 IOL)
Three-star Mason Wilhelm, No. 1,123 NATL. (No. 102 IOL)
Three-star Eli Rickell, No. 1,169 NATL. (No. 105 IOL)

Offensive Tackle
Three-star Nick Fiumara, No. 915 NATL. (No. 68 OT)

Defensive Lineman
Four-star Trashawn Ruffin, No. 300 NATL. (No. 32 DL)
Three-star Jimmy Alo-Suliafu, No. 587 NATL. (No. 62 DL)
Three-star David Jackson, No. 1,047 NATL. (No. 100 DL)

EDGE
Four-star Zavion Griffin-Haynes, No. 355 NATL. (No. 39 EDGE)
Three-star Ashton Blatt, No. 576 NATL. (No. 56 EDGE)
Three-star Lawrence Brown, No. 1,370 NATL. (No. 113 EDGE)

Linebacker
Four-star Calvin Thomas, No. 313 NATL. (No. 22 LB)
Three-star Jayden Griffin-Haynes, No. 1,067 NATL. (No. 94 LB)

Cornerback
Three-star Jaden Jefferson, No. 634 NATL. (No. 61 CB)
Three-star Xavier Jackson, No. 651 NATL. (No. 64 CB)
Three-star Keegan Chapman, No. 734 NATL. (No. 70 CB)
Three-star Marcellous Ryan, No. 990 NATL. (No. 95 CB)

Safety
Four-star Jakob Weatherspoon, No. 177 NATL. (No. 17 S)
Three-star Jamarrion Gordon, No. 694 NATL. (No. 59 S)
Three-star Julian Burns, No. 748 NATL. (No. 69 S)
Three-star Darien Lewis, No. 1,198 NATL. (No. 118 S)

Athlete
Three-star Aveon Williams, No. 1,232 NATL. (No. 62 ATH)
Three-star Aidan Woods, No. 1,380 NATL. (No. 71 ATH)

Specialty
K David Green