Overview

• Jakob Weatherspoon, a four-star safety ranked No. 177 overall and No. 17 at his position, decommitted from Ohio State and pledged to UNC on July 16.
• Weatherspoon’s arrival pushes North Carolina’s 2026 class to 33 commits, the most in the ACC, and boosts its haul of four-star prospects to seven.
• Despite ranking fourth overall in Rivals’ ACC industry standings, UNC leads the conference in No. 1 position-rated recruits.
• The Tar Heels’ class features other blue-chip talents, including four-star linebacker Calvin Thomas, four-star receiver Keeyun Chapman and EDGE standouts Zavion and Jayden Griffin-Haynes.
• Bill Belichick stressed that leaving the Jets for the Patriots carried greater foundational risks, framing his move to college football as part of a career defined by bold decisions.