Bill Belichick, UNC football lose key 4-star commit and it's not an April Fools' Day joke
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Bill Belichick, UNC football lose key 4-star commit and it's not an April Fools' Day joke originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Bill Belichick and UNC lost another blue-chip recruit before the 2026 season. Marquis Bryant, a four-star cornerback and the No. 188 player on Rivals' big board, announced his decommitment on Wednesday.
This news sets Belichick and his staff back in the 2027 recruiting class. Bryant was the highest-ranked commit for the Tar Heels and the only one from inside the state of North Carolina.
“My recruitment is 100% open,” Bryant told Rivals.
Among the 35 offers Bryant currently has on the table is a mix of ACC and SEC schools, including Auburn, Duke, Georgia and Ole Miss. However, Tennessee is one team to watch in this situation.
Bryant has a history with multiple visits to Knoxville and the Vols have been high on his list.
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“(Tennessee's) staff showed me around and where I would fit into the new defense,” Bryant told Rivals. “The coaches talked to me a lot and really expressed that they like my football IQ. They told me to come in and compete.”
Without Bryant, UNC will tumble down the rankings. The Tar Heels were 28th in the nation for 2027 before the update and will likely drop at least ten spots.
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