Bill Belichick isn’t in Chapel Hill to play it safe. The six-time Super Bowl champion clearly didn’t take over the North Carolina Tar Heels football program to blend in with the ACC middle class—he’s here to build a powerhouse. That means competing in the trenches, not just on the field but in recruiting and NIL. And right now, one of UNC’s biggest battles isn’t against Clemson or Florida State—it’s against a $1.2 million NIL shortfall. That’s a glaring number in an era where financial backing often dictates on-field success. This past weekend’s efforts are starting to pay off.

On3’s 2025 transfer portal rankings have North Carolina sitting at 27th, a solid number but not nearly good enough for where Belichick wants this program to be. With 19 commits. Appearing on 247Sports, the Tar Heels recruiting analyst Don Callahan revealed top attendees from the Dean E. Smith Center’s UNC basketball team’s 82-69 home loss to archrival Duke on Saturday night. The loss didn’t stop them from hosting their biggest recruiting event of the offseason.

“Carolina hosted a massive recruiting weekend. By far the largest since Bill Belichick took over in Chapel Hill,” Callahan revealed. “It began with a practice on Friday that had about a dozen top targets in Chapel Hill, and they continued on Saturday with a junior day that ended with the UNC-Duke basketball game.”

Junior days are crucial in the recruiting calendar—high school stars get a front-row seat to the program, the facilities, and the culture. But what stood out most was who actually made the trip. Among those in attendance was four-star quarterback Landon Duckworth, a name that UNC has had high on its board since Bill Belichick’s arrival. “UNC has had its eye on him since Belichick became head coach and has been trying to get him on campus for a very long time,” Callahan said. A top quarterback prospect visiting once is a good sign. But for a second time? That signals serious interest. And Duckworth wasn’t alone.

North Carolina also brought in four-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes, a top in-state recruit, marking his second visit to campus this offseason.

“That’s going to be UNC’s best weapon when it comes to recruiting Griffin-Haynes—getting him as familiar as possible with the coaching staff and the campus.” In a recruiting world dictated by relationships and repetition, getting a premier defensive talent to return this early in the process is a major win. Bill Belichick’s presence is already paying dividends, and it’s clear that his strategy is resonating with top recruits.

The impact of the weekend didn’t stop at campus visits. By Sunday, UNC had already locked in a new commitment—6-foot-2, 285-pound defensive lineman David Jackson III out of Maryland. A player fresh off a visit pledging to the program is the ultimate proof that the recruiting pitch is working. “And then also, UNC picked up a commitment—a defensive lineman out of Maryland, David Jackson, a pledge to the Tar Heels before the weekend ended,” Callahan noted.

Jackson himself was blown away by the experience. “We walked around, got to see the whole campus, talked to Bill for a minute,” he told 247Sports’ Brian Dohn. “We went over the position and the depth chart with the d-line coach (Bob Diaco) and saw where he was going to put me, what he was going to do with me.” That kind of direct, personalized attention from a coaching staff—especially one led by Belichick—is what turns interest into commitments.

Belichick’s presence alone is a game-changer, but to truly elevate North Carolina football, the NIL landscape has to change. And that’s where this weekend’s success carries extra weight. If top recruits keep showing up in Chapel Hill and leaving with high praise—or even commitments—it sends a message to boosters and donors that this program is worth investing in.

Now, the next step is making sure the financial backing matches the ambition.

Bill Belichick’s Tar Heels Staying Hot on the Recruiting Trail

The Bill Belichick effect is already in full swing at North Carolina, and the Tar Heels aren’t slowing down anytime soon. After closing out their 2025 recruiting class with serious momentum, UNC has now turned up the heat for 2026 prospects, already locking in seven commitments as of March 4.

One of the biggest surges came from Jan. 19-21, when three California defensive backs pledged their futures to UNC. It started with Gardena Junipero Serra’s three-star CB Marcellous Ryan, followed quickly by Los Angeles Rancho Cucamonga’s Justin Lewis and Concord De La Salle’s Jaden Jefferson. That’s a West Coast sweep for Belichick and his staff, proving they’re thinking beyond traditional recruiting pipelines.

Even top 2025 EDGE prospect Griffin-Haynes, ranked No. 27 in the cycle per On3, took notice of the culture shift in Chapel Hill. “Just the change of the program,” Griffin-Haynes told On3’s Steve Wiltfong. “How the NFL caliber comes apart (of it) and how the program (will) grow into a championship program.”

UNC’s recruiting pitch is clear: Belichick is building something special, and recruits are buying in.