UNC coach Bill Belichick welcomes 39 newcomers for National Signing Day

Bill Belichick walked into the Kenan Football Center on Wednesday with a suit jacket, argyle-pattern tie and neatly combed hair. He carried the posture and appearance of a man stepping into something ceremonial, something that signified a new beginning.

He’d been up since 7 a.m., he said, calling every player who had committed to North Carolina, welcoming them officially to the program. Then there were follow-up conversations with coaches, mentors and family members. And, by the time Belichick spoke to the media at 5 p.m., 39 prospects had officially signed to join him in Chapel Hill in the No. 12-ranked class nationally, per ESPN.

“It’s a big class,” Belichick said. “We’re excited about the players that signed here. They will be a foundation for our program. They represent, really, the values that we stand for.”

Belichick’s first National Signing Day as North Carolina’s football coach delivered what’s believed to be one of the largest signing classes in program history. The haul, fittingly, wasn’t complete without some late-cycle drama. Four-star defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland flipped his commitment from Texas to UNC on Wednesday. Four-star offensive lineman Da’Ron Parks also committed to North Carolina, having recently decommitted from Florida State. Several other prospects flipped last week to join the Tar Heels.

Meanwhile, in Raleigh, N.C. State flipped former three-star UNC edge commit Lawrence Brown and Dave Doeren took a jab at his rival school.

“As far as I know, UNC is ranked ahead of us in recruiting every year I’ve been here,” Doeren said, “and compare the records.”

North Carolina’s incoming class blends blue-chips with developmental linemen, an international specialist and more to form a geographically and positionally diverse class. The Tar Heels landed players from Alabama to Ireland, in-state pipelines, and powerhouse programs such as IMG Academy, DeMatha Catholic and De La Salle.

All of the signees, with the exception of three, will enroll early in January, giving them more time to develop in the program.

Belichick spoke about the “multitude of relationships” that go into pulling off a signing class of this magnitude. He credited everyone: the recruiting department run by Michael Lombardi and his staff; the personnel team; admissions; operations; travel; food; medical; logistics; public relations; the content team coordinating the flood of Signing Day social media posts; alumni and The Rams Club.

“I just want to emphasize what a comprehensive undertaking this is,” Belichick said. “It’s a very lengthy one and a very serious one. When a student-athlete commits four years to an institution … it’s a big life decision, and we take that very seriously.”

Then Belichick ceded the podium to Lombardi, who opened by congratulating Belichick on becoming a finalist for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

“It’s been a remarkable career that’s going to continue here at North Carolina,“ Lombardi said. “You could see the brilliance of him at a young age and, today, as we have gotten older and grayer and fatter, he’s still the same coach. And that’s what makes me so excited about the future here.”

North Carolina finished 4-8 in its first year with Belichick and Lombardi at the helm — the Tar Heels’ worst record since the Larry Fedora era.

But four-star quarterback commit Travis Burgess said he and his fellow Class of 2026 signees are optimistic.

“We all know what the score looks like after every game,” Burgess said. “We all know what the record is. We all know what’s talked about — how bad UNC football is — but we know moving forward, with the help of the [2026] class and the people on the current roster, [we] can help change the program around.”

Below are the class superlatives, followed by a full player chart.

Top recruit: Jakob Weatherspoon, DB, Avon (Ohio)

The highest-rated signee in UNC’s class, per On3/Rivals, is Weatherspoon.

He’s a 4-star, top-150 national prospect who flipped from Ohio State after a June visit to Chapel Hill. The 6-foot-2 safety helped lead Avon to a second straight state championship game this fall and was a state champion in the 400-meter dash.

Weatherspoon brings speed, physicality and great coverage instincts. He can jam receivers at the line and has played both corner and safety at Avon.

Most intriguing recruit: Zavion Griffin-Haynes, DL, Rolesville

Griffin-Haynes committed to the previous UNC staff, but decommitted when Mack Brown was fired. He became one of Belichick’s first recruiting priorities, with Belichick making his first recruiting stop to Rolesville.

At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, he brings an NFL-caliber skill set and enormous upside, even if his high school production was inconsistent.

Top local recruit: Trashawn Ruffin, DL, North Duplin

Ruffin, a 4-star defensive tackle, made headlines when he flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to North Carolina in March.

At the time, he was the highest-ranked pledge since Belichick took over at UNC.

Ruffin transformed into one of UNC’s most enthusiastic recruits and an active voice on social media throughout the cycle.

Most likely to make immediate impact: Jonah Rodriguez, OL, Southwestern College

UNC needs to rebuild its interior offensive line, and Rodriguez arrives with college experience — something few first-year players possess. At 6-foot-4 and 294 pounds, he brings physical maturity to a position group likely to face some turnover this offseason.

He will have two years of eligibility remaining after time at San Diego State and Arizona.

UNC 2026 signing class

This story was originally published December 3, 2025 at 8:34 PM.