Bill Belichick Quietly Building Top 25 Class In Chapel Hill

Bill Belichick and his staff are on the move. The rest of the Atlantic Coast Conference should stand and take notice.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are building a Top 25 recruiting class for the 2026 cycle. Right now, UNC has 29 commits. The diamonds are certainly four-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin and quarterback Travis Burgess, according to Rivals.

Burgess would join a solid quarterback room and bring an impressive resume with him. The 6-foot-5, 205 pound signal caller completed 60 percent of his passes last season for 2,225 yards and 23 touchdowns. He only suffered four interceptions.

Burgess is a multi-dimensional quarterback who can beat you with his arm and his legs. He is similar to current North Carolina quarterback Gio Lopez. He rushed for four more touchdowns and gained 596 yards on the ground.

Rivals director of scouting Charles Power ramked Burgess among the top candidates who performed at the Elite 11 Finals.

“Burgess was a standout on Day 2 at the Elite 11 Finals, turning in one of the better pro day workouts among the group. Burgess was confident in working through the 20 throw script. The North Carolina pledge delivered with velocity and placement while charting on target on 18 of 20 passes. He backed that up with a solid showing on Day 3, throwing three touchdowns during 7-on-7 play.

“At 6-foot-4.5, 210 pounds, he owns one of the bigger frames among the Elite 11 Finalists. The mechanics also look the most dialed in we’ve seen from him to this point, allowing for improved velocity.”

Burgess would be the second prime quarterback to commit to the Tar Heels in successive cycles. Bryce Baker is currently a freshman from the 2025 class and he brings a lot to the table himself.

The Tar Heels have also added two more studs in recent days. Keeyun Chapman from Jackson High School in Alabama is a four-star receiver who said yes to the coach. O'mari Johnson from Mississippi is also committed as an athlete to the Tar Heels.

Chapman is ranked as the nations No. 26 receiver and is in the top 200 players in the country overall, according to Rivals.

North Carolina is also in the mix for Tabor Academy (Mass.) four-star edge rusher Carter Gooden. Gooden visited Chapel Hill in June and is at the top of Belichick's wish list. He also visited Arizona State, UCLA, Michigan State, Virginia, Penn State and Boston College. Gooden is not in any hurry to make a decision, but reports indicate the Tar Heels are still in the mix.

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