Bill Belichick’s second season at North Carolina has already shown progress, and now the Tar Heels have another reason to feel better about where this program is headed.
ESPN has the Tar Heels ranked 35th in the country for their 2027 recruiting class, a group led by wide receiver Amare Patterson and defensive end Brayden Booth. For a team that went 4-8 in 2025 and is now 4-3 in the 2026 season, that kind of class gives Belichick and his staff a real foundation to build on.
Patterson brings eye-catching production with him. In 2025, he posted 51 catches for 912 yards and 10 touchdowns, and he also added 136 rushing yards on 11 carries.
Booth, meanwhile, has shown he can impact games on the defensive front. He logged 35 tackles, five tackles for loss, a sack and two PBU’s in 2024, then followed that up in 2025 with 85 tackles, nine tackles for loss and three sacks.
Those are the kinds of additions that can change the feel of a roster, even if North Carolina is not in the College Football Playoff picture right now. The Tar Heels have been noticeably more competitive, and the 2027 class gives them a chance to keep climbing toward ACC contention.
Before any of that arrives, though, North Carolina has a huge test sitting right in front of it. The Tar Heels face the No. 1 Miami Hurricanes on Saturday, and upsetting the top team in the country will require a near-perfect effort.
Quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. will be central to that effort. He has completed 60.2 percent of his passes for 1,531 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. North Carolina will also need Jordan Shipp to keep making plays; the receiver has 41 catches for 543 yards and two touchdowns.
Jelani Thurman has been another important part of the passing game, with 33 receptions for 391 yards and four touchdowns. On the ground, Demon June has chipped in 245 rushing yards and seven scores.
The challenge gets even tougher when Miami has the ball. Darian Mensah has been sharp all season, completing 81.4 percent of his passes for 2,151 yards, 22 touchdowns and one interception. And Malachi Toney has emerged as one of the nation’s top receivers, piling up 66 catches for 952 yards and 11 touchdowns.
If North Carolina can create a few stops and get its offense moving, Saturday could turn into a signature moment. And with the 2027 class taking shape, Belichick’s program appears positioned to keep moving forward.
In Other News...
UNC Is Closing In On A Recruit Tar Heels Fans Will Obsess Over
A major recruiting decision is coming into focus for one of the top names in the 2027 class, and North Carolina appears to be right in the middle of it. DeMarcus Henry, the five-star forward ranked No. 2 in the SC Next 100, is set to announce his college choice Friday at 3 p.m. ET on ESPNs NBA Today, with the Tar Heels, Kentucky, Arkansas and Louisville still in the mix.
UNC helped itself with Henrys final official visit, which included a call from Michael Jordan, and the Tar Heels are now viewed as a leading candidate in the race. Recent reports and predictions have leaned toward Chapel Hill, adding even more intrigue to a recruitment that has already become one fans will be watching closely as the clock ticks toward his announcement. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Faces A Trap-Game Test Fans Can't Ignore
North Carolina is back in the kind of game that can tell you a lot about where it stands in the ACC race, even if the conversation around Week 9 has centered more on Miamis looming test than the Tar Heels themselves. The matchup figures to draw attention because it puts North Carolina in the middle of a prediction market that expects a close game, and those kinds of games usually say plenty about a teams steadiness, its ability to handle pressure and whether it can make an opponent uncomfortable for four quarters.
For the Tar Heels, the bigger storyline is less about the outside noise and more about whether they can turn a difficult spot into a statement opportunity. Miami is being picked to escape with a narrow win, which leaves North Carolina with a chance to challenge that expectation and change the tone around its season, even if the projection still tilts toward the Hurricanes. The setup is simple enough, but these are exactly the sorts of games where the details matter and one timely swing can change how the rest of the week gets discussed. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Suddenly Has Major Recruiting Momentum Ahead Of Elite Prospect's Decision
North Carolinas recruiting pitch to Henry has picked up real force in a hurry. The No. 2 overall recruit and top small forward in the 2027 class recently made a visit to Chapel Hill, then cut his list down to four schools, with the Tar Heels still in the mix alongside Arkansas, Kentucky and Louisville.
The buzz around UNC only grew when Michael Jordan personally called Henry as part of the programs push. Now the spotlight shifts to Friday, when Henry is expected to reveal his decision on ESPNs NBA Today at 3 p.m. ET, setting up a high-profile finish to a recruitment that could reshape the Tar Heels future plans. [Read more 🡒]