One Overlooked Matchup On Virginia's Schedule For 2026

One matchup the entire country is overlooking for the Virginia Cavaliers in 2026 is the North Carolina Tar Heels. I know what you might be thinking. There is no way, but the Tar Heels may surprise some teams next fall.

Now, the Tar Heels didn’t have a good season in 2025, which was the inaugural season of head coach Bill Belichick. They finished 4-8 and ended the season on a three-game losing streak. 2026 will be a little bit different with another year under the helm of legendary head coach Bill Belichick. You can tell his effect is wearing off when you take a look at the recruiting class they are bringing to contribute as freshmen.

The Tar Heels have a top 20 recruiting class coming in, which is headlined by Travis Burgess, CJ Sadler, Vodney Cleveland, Trashawn Ruffin, Kenton Dopson, and DQ Forkpa. All were blue-chip recruits and should see the field early. You mix the recruiting class, with the transfer portal, and the returning players, the Tar Heels have a solid roster which should be even more competitive in 2026.

Another reason this matchup will be more intriguing is the playmakers the Tar Heels added from the portal. They will have one of the better tight end rooms in the ACC with the additions of Jelani Thurman (Ohio State) and Jordan Washington (Texas). Then you add in dynamic wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin), and you have some solid playmakers. The offense struggled last season with consistency, but with the infusion of talented players at key playmaker positions, it should help out a ton.

Another down-to-the-wire finish?

latest — Dec 27, 2025; Jacksonville, FL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers wide receiver Cam Ross (6) runs after a catch against the Missouri Tigers during the fourth quarter at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Travis Register-Imagn Images | Travis Register-Imagn Images

In last year’s meeting, the Cavaliers barely hung on for a 17-16 victory and North Carolina everything they could handle. North Carolina went for two at the end of overtime in hopes of clinching a victory but would ultimately fail the attempt. Head coach Tony Elliot talked about the decision back in October.

“You know, I didn't, to be honest with you. I would have kicked it and given the guys another opportunity in the second overtime because then you have to go for two. But hey man, he's won a lot of football games and I mean he's one of the, you know, best in the business for a reason and so obviously he felt good about the call, but when I did see it come over towards our left hash, I mean, the closest to us would be our right hash on defense but the left hash where I was looking at it and I know he's got a left-handed quarterback. I thought that was a little different from the sprint out,” said Elliot.

“So, I was hopeful that there were some plays that may be eliminated by bringing it over there. But he still kind of rolled out to the opposite the throwing hand. And then I was a little nervous because I saw the back kind of leaking. And then when I saw our guys trigger on it, I felt like they had an opportunity, but they were going to have to tackle low, and they were going to have to knock him back and not let him fall forward. He finds a way, doesn't he? He's around the ball and is becoming one of the top playmakers for us.”

In 2026, the matchup will be played in Virginia. You can’t take one matchup and overblow it, but at the same time, these teams match up well and bring a lot of intrigue. I think 2026 will be the same, and while it may get overlooked because of how the Tar Heels finished a season ago, the matchup will likely be a one-score game again.

More Virginia Football News:

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•Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal Review: Wide Receivers

•Virginia Cavaliers Post-Transfer Portal 2026 Depth Chart Review: Running Backs

•Virginia Gets Commitment From Highly-Ranked In-State 2027 Prospect