Future UNC DL Praises Tar Heels Class of 2026

North Carolina's ability to successfully flip Jaziel Hart from Penn State could be exactly what this team needs to turn things around. They have a boatload of recruits coming in for their Class of 2026, one of those being Trashawn Ruffin.

Ruffin is currently tied for their third-highest-ranked recruit in their Class of '26. He acknowledged just how important the acquisition of Hart is going to be with a social media post that praised the Tar Heels.

Trashawn Ruffin's Emotional Post

I have never seen this before. UNC lost a game and yet it inspired the recruits and made them even more eager to get there. That's unreal. To the current players, keep being great and block the noise. You all are a great inspiration to future Heels. Remember, you all started this pic.twitter.com/W5anNK3QFo
— Trashawn Ruffin (@TrashawnRuffin) October 27, 2025

Despite being 2-5 (0-3), the Tar Heels have shown tremendous fight in their last two games. They nearly stole a win from Virginia in overtime. That win would've not only been their first ACC win of the season, but it would've been Bill Belichick's first against a ranked opponent.

So far, UNC only has wins over Charlotte and Richmond. They were embarrassed by TCU in Week 1, but managed to follow it up with a few blowout wins. From there, things went downhill.

DT @TrashawnRuffin scored a hat-trick on Friday, tallying three sacks — including one where he stripped the ball loose.

Full UNC Commitment Weekend Scoreboard: https://t.co/ibwGLi1Gvu pic.twitter.com/tZD1ieLrQ5
— Don Callahan (@DonCallahanIC) October 12, 2025

Now, even after a loss, the vibes are different. UNC was able to flip a recruit from the Nittany Lions, a team that came into the year with monstrous aspirations. Instead, the Tar Heels are on the rise while PSU nears rock bottom.

"I have never seen this before. UNC lost a game and yet it inspired the recruits and made them even more eager to get there. That's unreal," Ruffin said.

He continued, "To the current players, keep being great and block the noise. You all are a great inspiration to future Heels. Remember, you all started this."

Ruffin's Journey to UNC

Blessed to see 18!! #AGTG✝️ pic.twitter.com/wAFBkyEvEN
— Trashawn Ruffin (@TrashawnRuffin) September 14, 2025

Of the Tar Heels' 38 commits in the Class of 2026, only six committed earlier than Ruffin. He pledged his commitment on March 17, 2025, which is quite early for a four-star player of his caliber.

Ruffin currently attends North Duplin High School in Mt. Olive, NC. Seeing as he's a North Carolina native, one would assume his decision to join the Tar Heels came as a no-brainer.

Ultimately, that wasn't the case. Ruffin committed to Texas A&M on October 18, 2024. He was dead set on playing for the Aggies, even though UNC threw an offer his way on September 17, 2024.

Along the process, things quickly changed. Ruffin, while committed to A&M, received offers from Nebraska, LSU, and Alabama. With things going south along the way, Ruffin decided it would be in his best interest to decommit from the Aggies and find his new home with the Tar Heels.

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