North Carolina Football 2026 Top 30 Players: No. 26

Here is the No. 26 player on the Tar Heels' 2026-27 roster.

Oct 28, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of a North Carolina Tar Heels helmet on the field before a game against the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets at Bobby Dodd Stadium at Hyundai Field. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images | Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Anyone who watched the North Carolina Tar Heels football program last season would tell you that it was a miserable experience.

Quite frankly, that was an understatement, as from the get-go, the Tar Heels were outmatched schematically and personnel-wise. A majority of the blame rests on head coach Bill Belichick's shoulders, as he entered Chapel Hill with lofty expectations after having a dominant NFL coaching career.

Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; A detail view of a North Carolina Tar Heels football helmet during warmups before the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Obviously, that did not transpire, and now the 74-year-old head coach is entering this upcoming season on the hot seat. With another campaign remotely close to 2025, Belichick will surely be shown the door out of Chapel Hill. During an interview earlier this offseason, the veteran head coach went over the team's goals and aspirations for 2026.

Belichick's Thoughts

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

• "Well, again, our goals are much more short term than that, as were our goals in the NFL," Belichick said. "We never talked about Super Bowl this year or last year, whatever was done was done, and until we got to the game, it really wasn't really relevant. There were too many steps that need to be taken in between, and so that is the same thing for me at North Carolina."

• "So, it's not about long-term goals - of course, that's to be as good as you can be," Belichick continued. "But that's so far in the distance. What's more important is to take advantage of today and tomorrow and this week, and those are really our goals - how do we maximize these next few days."

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half against the Duke Blue Devils at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Additionally, Belichick acknowledged that the expectations from former players and coaches are relatively high. It increases the pressure, but this program is operating with a steady mindset in an attempt to turn things around.

• "I think most people at North Carolina - alumni and others - feel like North Carolina should be better at football than what it's been," Belichick stated.

Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick looks to the clock in the fourth quarter game against the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

• "And so, that's what we want to make it. We're very much trying to run an NFL model where we have a general manager, Mike Lombardi, head coach, and our scouting and coaching processes are aligned, but they kind of flow separately until they come together," Belichick continued. "And our thing is what it's always been - to develop players and develop a team, and in a lot of cases, hopefully help them reach their goals and dreams and play in the NFL and play on Sundays."

Reason For Hope?

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; Richmond Spiders head coach Russ Huesman talks to North Carolina Tar Heels general manger Michael Lombardi and head coach Bill Belichick before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Last offseason, Belichick entered the fray in the midst of the transfer portal window, which had the Tar Heels behind the eight-ball in terms of roster construction. This time around, Belichick and Lombardi were afforded an entire offseason to assess and recalibrate the roster.

That is exactly what they did, and to their credit, they have assembled a formidable roster heading into next season. North Carolina compiled one of the top-ranked recruiting classes while adding established assets through the transfer portal.

Oct 25, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick with the team before the game at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

With that being said, we are back to count down the top 30 players on the Tar Heels' 2026-27 roster. This next player was brought to Chapel Hill through the transfer portal. Here is the No. 26 player on North Carolina's roster, as we near training camp.

North Carolina Top 30: No. 26 TE Jaxxon Warren

Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado State Rams tight end Jaxxon Warren (19) catches a pass against the Washington Huskies during the second quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

The former Colorado State tight end was one of the most sought-after prospects in the transfer portal this offseason, and the Tar Heels were able to pry him away from other top-flight programs. Similar to a lot of players on this roster, Warren is somewhat of an unknown commodity.

The 6-foot-7, 244-pound tight end appeared in only two games last season, but during that span, he totaled seven receptions for 95 yards and one touchdown. It is a very small sample size, but that level of production over a full-season pace is tantalizing to ponder.

Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado State Rams tight end Jaxxon Warren (19) catches a touchdown pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

North Carolina's tight ends did not have much to offer last season, which was a reason for the offense's underwhelming red zone success. The Tar Heels prioritized bolstering that position in the portal, and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino highlighted the position group following spring practices.

• “Our tight end group had a very, very good spring,” Petrino said. “They’re big, they’re athletic, they can run and catch and block the line of scrimmage. A lot of new guys there that weren’t here before, but they had a very, very good spring, and gave us some really good weapons.”

Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado State Rams tight end Jaxxon Warren (19) catches a touchdown pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

• “Jelani [Thurman] did a real nice job, [Jordan] Washington is a really good player and can do a lot of different things for us,” Petrino explained. “Jaxxon [Warren] did a nice job of coming in, and then they can do different things."

As mentioned, North Carolina acquired a plethora of options at the position, but it's safe to say that the redshirt sophomore possesses the highest ceiling of any player in that room.

Evaluating Warren's Importance

Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels wide receiver Jordan Shipp (1) makes a catch in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

In 2025, wide receiver Jordan Shipp was the only explosive outlet in the passing attack, and it was apparent that the Tar Heels' production was inconsistent when the veteran wideout wasn't producing. Now, Shipp is surrounded by a competent pass-catching group, and Warren's frame and ability to break open in the middle of the field should not only directly lead to production, but it will also open up the rest of the offense.

Also, as noted earlier, the Tar Heels' red-zone offense was dreadful last season, and Warren's route-running ability and physicality should unlock areas of the field near the goal line. Another angle to consider with Warren is North Carolina's quarterback situation.

Sep 20, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) looks to throw a pass during the game against the Maryland Terrapins at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

At the moment, the starting quarterback for Week 1 is still up in the air. Billy Edwards Jr. and Travis Burgess are projected to be the two most likely candidates to open the season as the starting quarterback.

If Burgess ends up earning the job during training camp, providing an incoming freshman quarterback with a safety blanket could do wonders for his development. Either way, Warren should be an instrumental piece of the offense next season and could be a major reason this team takes the next step on that side of the ball.