The North Carolina Tar Heels are fighting with three top teams in the race for a top recruit.
The North Carolina Tar Heels are certainly more interesting than they once were because of the presence of head coach Bill Belichick.
Yes, North Carolina went just 4-8 in Belichick's debut campaign, but there is no question that the Tar Heels are now a more intriguing destination with the eight-time Super Bowl champion — six as a head coach, two as a defensive coordinator — at the helm.
We've already seen this with UNC's 2026 recruiting class, which is ranked within the top 20 of the country. That's definitely a major shift at Chapel Hill.
And now, North Carolina is actually fighting with top-tier teams to land prospects.
Chad Simmons of Rivals has reported that four-star 2027 defensive lineman Joseph Buchanan has placed the Tar Heels among his four finalists before he makes his decision on Feb. 15.
The other three squads? Indiana, Notre Dame and Ohio State.
That is some pretty exclusive company for the Tar Heels, who never would have imagined challenging top Big Ten teams nor the Fighting Irish for one of the more sought-after recruits.
North Carolina tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.Buchanan is the 21st-ranked defensive lineman and the 177th-ranked player overall in his class, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.
The Maryland product — where he is the fifth-ranked player the state — stands 6-foot-4 and weighs 260 pounds.
“UNC was a childhood dream school for me," Buchanan said. "Coach [Bob] Diaco has turned the DL room around. They play hard and pressure the quarterback. Coach [Andrew] Blaylock has been great at maintaining consistent communication too.”
As for where Belichick comes into play? Buchanan made that pretty clear.
“For me, it’s about where I’ll have the most impact,” Buchanan added. “Football culture is big for me."
Say what you want about Belichick, but one thing he has shown the ability to do throughout his career is develop a great football culture, which is the reason why he is arguably the most successful head coach in NFL history.
Of course, Belichick still has a long road ahead of him at North Carolina and still needs to erase the stench of 2025, but patience will be key.
We'll see if the Tar Heels can show significant improvement next fall.