North Carolina football is reigniting recruiting momentum to start St. Patrick’s Day week. Bill Belichick and company managed to flip a four-star Texas A&M commit Monday. Now a former Alabama commit has the Tar Heels on his short list.
Class of 2026 safety Jamarrion Gordon revealed UNC as part of his final four schools, he revealed to Hayes Fawcett of On3. Gordon also was previously committed to Big 12 representative UCF.
But Gordon places the Tar Heels with LSU, Florida and Ole Miss. He’s no longer considering Kalen DeBoer and the Crimson Tide, or the Knights as they bring back Scott Frost as head coach.
Belichick and UNC have a prime opportunity to strike and lure in one more past Southeastern Conference commit. The Jackson, Alabama safety is best known for producing 10 combined pass breakups and collecting 72 tackles as an underclassman on varsity.
State of North Carolina 2026 class under Bill Belichick
The Tar Heels endured a rather quiet recruiting period for almost a month.
North Carolina’s last verbal pledge came on Feb. 21. Massachusetts prospect Anthony Hall chose UNC to represent the future of the offensive line. Monday’s Trashawn Ruffin commitment ended a near 25-day drought for North Carolina in landing a recruit.
North Carolina and Belichick watched two historic college football programs ascend on the recruiting trail. One of which hailing from the Atlantic Coast Conference.
USC catapulted to the top of the 2026 recruiting rankings in the past month. UNC rival Clemson, however, has delivered aggressive recruiting efforts in the past month too. The Tigers sit at No. 2 nationally for recruiting classes, receiving seven verbal commits in March alone. Clemson currently features 12 committed to the College Football Playoff team of this past season.
The Tar Heels, though, are gaining steam after the Ruffin decision. North Carolina is now No. 22 nationally for the ’26 class per 247Sports. The massive and powerful nose tackle Ruffin now ranks as Belichick’s first four-star commitment. And puts UNC at nine verbal pledges total.
Belichick’s first UNC class also featured in-state three-star quarterback talent Zaid Lott, plus towering 6-foot-2 Rancho Cucamonga, Ca., cornerback Justin Lewis.
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