Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels are making waves on the recruiting circuit.
Bill Belichick may have gone just 4-8 in his debut campaign with the North Carolina Tar Heels, but he is quickly aiming to turn that around.
Belichick has put together a top-20 recruiting class for 2026, and while he didn't land any five-star prospects in that group, he bagged a bunch of four-stars and is clearly making North Carolina a more intriguing place to play.
The 73-year-old has already gotten a head start on 2027, securing commitments from three different players, and now, he is even making headway toward 2028.
Belichick and the Tar Heels have made an offer to 2028 four-star wide receiver Jaylen Addai, who could become the first recruit in his class to commit to UNC.
Addai — the son of former Indianapolis Colts running back Joseph Addai — revealed the news on social media late last week.
The 6-foot-1, 170-pound weapon is the 11th-ranked wide receiver and the 68th-ranked player overall in the class of 2028. He is also the sixth-ranked player in the state of Texas.
Jaylen Addai. Credit: Lori Schmidt / Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.Addai hauled in 38 receptions for 771 yards and 16 touchdowns during his sophomore season at Shadow Creek, averaging a robust 20.3 yards per catch.
He has already received 27 offers overall, including Alabama, LSU, Miami, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas and Texas Tech.
Clearly, Addai is already in high demand, so North Carolina will face some very stiff competition to land his services.
Addai's father, Joseph, attended LSU and was selected by the Colts with the 30th overall pick of the 2006 NFL Draft. He played in the pros for six seasons, making a Pro Bowl appearance and racking up a pair of 1,000-yard campaigns.
Perhaps the Tigers have a slight advantage in Addai's recruitment given the fact that his dad played there, but the fact that the Tar Heels are in the running shows that Belichick means serious business when it comes to making UNC a national power.
North Carolina was dealt a handful of embarrassing losses in 2025, and Belichick's reputation certainly took a major hit.
However, the New England Patriots legend can still rebuild his rep by forging a contender in Chapel Hill. We'll see if Belichick is able to do it.
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