North Carolina football ended its quiet recruiting state in a massive way Monday. New Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick flipped a Texas A&M four-star commit.
Belichick secured high-profile defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin, with Hayes Fawcett of On3 confirming the move. The 2026 prospect Ruffin was verbally committed to the Aggies since Oct. 2024.
The Tar Heels stayed in touch with Ruffin, though. Belichick and his staff even hosted him during the weekend of March 8, per Don Callahan of 247Sports. Ruffin got a chance to take in a Tar Heels basketball game against Duke as part of his trip.
North Carolina now lands the state’s 10th ranked prospect for the 2026 class by On3. Plus ends weeks of silence on the recruiting trail. Interior offensive lineman Anthony Hall from Brookline, Mass., represented the last UNC verbal commit. Hall chose UNC on Feb. 21.
How Bill Belichick and North Carolina flipped Texas A&M commit
Ruffin tells Callahan that he felt the love from Belichick and his staff. Helping persuade his pivot to Chapel Hill.
“I love the staff, love the college, love the atmosphere of it. And, I just feel if I go there, I will get developed,” Ruffin shared.
Belichick wasn’t the only UNC coach courting Ruffin. He cites Michael Lombardi and Lance Thompson as two Tar Heels staff members who ran point on his recruitment.
“They just keep telling me over and over, they’re going to take take care of us. They’re going to develop me just right. They have a whole NFL staff, which they do. They have the best head coach in the game,” Ruffin shared.
Ruffin will soon play for a head coach who’s thrived with massive interior defenders of his stature. Belichick won Super Bowls turning to Ted Washington and Vince Wilfork as big, powerful nose tackles. Ruffin’s size makes him ideal to become Belichick’s future nose tackle. He joins quarterback Zaid Lott as the latest in-state verbal pledge for Belichick and North Carolina.
North Carolina holds nine total commits for the 2026 class. Belichick did land 2027 California talent Skylar Robinson on Feb. 2. But Ruffin becomes the highest-rated Tar Heels commit.
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