Players in UNC football's class who could help Bill Belichick in 2026
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UNC football coach Bill Belichick says the Tar Heels’ 2026 recruiting class “will be a foundation for our program.”
Ranked 12th by ESPN and No. 17 in the 247Sports Composite, the Tar Heels’ 2026 class includes 39 players, some of whom will be expected to immediately contribute in Belichick’s second season.
Of the 39 signees, all but three will enroll in January to begin practicing with the team during the spring. Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi announced the class on Dec. 3, the first day of the early signing period.
“They will be a foundation for our program. They represent, really the values that we stand for, at least the way we feel at this time. That’s why we recruited those players, and it really transcends the entire football team,” Belichick said inside the Kenan Football Center.
“We signed one quarterback, one running back, but in other positions — receiver, tight end, offensive-defensive line, linebacker, defensive back, a kicker and a punter — it’s a pretty balanced class.”
The “robust” class, Lombardi said, “wasn’t intended always to be that way,” but the Tar Heels didn’t want to limit themselves to a specific number of players.
“Why should we stop collecting good players? Who wrote a rule that said you should only take 22 seniors?” he said. “Like, I didn’t see that in the manual when I came here… I think developing your own has always been the best way to build a team, because you’re building a foundation.”
Here are 10 players in the 2026 recruiting class who could help the Tar Heels in Belichick’s second season.
Keeyun Chapman, WR
A 6-foot-4 wide receiver from Alabama who picked UNC over Florida State, Chapman is capable of giving the Tar Heels a vertical threat and big target in the red zone. UNC consistently lacked a big-play threat in the passing game, but Chapman could help alleviate those problems. A multi-sport athlete, Chapman is coming off a knee injury, but he averaged nearly 26 yards per catch as a junior.
Kenton Dopson III, CB
One of nine defensive backs, the most of any position group in this class, Dopson is from Miami but picked the Tar Heels over the Hurricanes. The 6-foot-1, 195-pound cornerback has track speed and finished with six interceptions to go with 28 pass breakups as a senior.
Zavion Griffin-Hayes, DE
One of seven defensive linemen in the class, Griffin-Hayes and his brother (Jayden) are joining the Tar Heels from Rolesville High School. The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder opened up his recruitment after Mack Brown left UNC before committing to Belichick over FSU and N.C. State. Griffin-Hayes has the length, size and speed to make an instant impact in the trenches for the Tar Heels.
Trashawn Ruffin, DT
Another major in-state get for Belichick, Ruffin flipped to UNC after initially committing to Texas A&M. The 6-foot-3, 350-pound interior defensive lineman projects as a run-stopper with his size, strength and ability to clog gaps. Belichick added plenty of size with this class, including Ruffin.
Viliami Moala, DT
A former Oregon commit, Moala is a former Under Armour All-American as a 6-foot-2, 357-pound defensive tackle. The prototypical player to slide in as a nose tackle, Moala’s power and strength as a player who should command attention from multiple blockers should give him a chance to see the field early for the Tar Heels.
Jakob Weatherspoon, CB
A former Ohio State commit, Weatherspoon gives the Tar Heels superior speed in the secondary for a revamped defensive backfield. A state champion as a track athlete in Ohio, Weatherspoon figures to be a nickel or safety for UNC.
Carson Sneed, TE
The Tar Heels lacked pop at the tight end position this season, both in pass production and blocking. Sneed, a Nashville native who decommitted from Tennessee before picking the Tar Heels, is a 6-foot-6, 242-pound target capable of giving UNC a valuable blocker on the edge.
CJ Sadler, WR
A 5-foot-9 speedster at wide receiver, Sadler could be quite the weapon in the slot and as a return man for the Tar Heels. The top recruit in Michigan, Sadler lacks size but his speed and agility in space are game-changing traits.
Vodney Cleveland, DT
A former Texas commit, Cleveland is a 6-foot-3, 320-pound defensive lineman from Alabama. It was quite the snag for Belichick’s Tar Heels, who successfully won the recruiting battle against several perennial College Football Playoff contenders. Cleveland should instantly beef up UNC’s interior.
Travis Burgess, QB
The lone quarterback in the Tar Heels’ class, Burgess is coming off a knee injury but his talent could bring valuable competition to UNC’s QB room. It seems likely the Tar Heels will add more competition to that group via the portal, but the 6-foot-4 QB has the dual-threat talent and confidence to push the players at his position.
Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Key players for Bill Belichick in UNC football 2026 recruiting class
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