Bill Belichick’s new-look linebacker group at North Carolina already has a player getting national notice, and it’s not hard to see why.
Richmond transfer Peyton Seelmann has landed on the 2026 Dick Butkus Award watchlist, a preseason marker for the nation’s top linebacker. The Tar Heels added him this offseason as part of the overhaul in the middle of the defense, and he arrives in Chapel Hill with real production attached to his name.
Seelmann spent his first two college seasons with the Spiders and comes to UNC after a standout 2025 campaign. The Mechanicsville, Virginia native earned First Team All-Patriot honors and led Richmond with 120 tackles. That total ranked second in the Patriot League and eighth nationally.
The Butkus watchlist includes 51 players each year, a nod to the No. 51 worn by Dick Butkus during his Hall of Fame career. Seelmann was one of nine ACC linebackers named to the list.
The full ACC group includes Sammy Brown, Jr. of Clemson, Luke Mergott of Duke, Kyle Efford of Georgia Tech, Mohamed Toure of Miami, Seelmann, Braylan Lovelace of Pitt, Matt Rose of Stanford, Gary Bryant III of Syracuse and Kam Robinson of Virginia.
For UNC, Seelmann fits the kind of profile that jumps off the page: productive, proven and already recognized on a national stage. He’s also the sort of player who can change how a linebacker room looks from the jump, especially in a defense being shaped by Bill and Steve Belichick.
The Tar Heels are expected to lean on a number of newcomers at linebacker this season, and Seelmann is one of the transfers who should factor in right away. He’s entering his junior year with momentum, and his first season at North Carolina is already drawing attention before the games begin.
The semifinalists for the 2026 Butkus Award will be announced on October 28, with finalists coming on November 20. The winner will be revealed during the week of December 7. Players do not have to stay on the preseason watchlist to win the award, since additions and removals can happen during the season.
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