When North Carolina hired NFL legend Bill Belichick to lead its football program, many openly questioned whether or not the second-winningest head coach in NFL history would be open to doing everything required to win at the college level. Specifically, some doubted whether or not Belichick would be willing to court some of the nation's top high school recruits.
What's more, it was fair to wonder whether his name would carry as much weight with prospective young players, especially given that Belichick is 72 years old. Fortunately, it appears that current high school recruits see the greatness that the North Carolina head coach brings to the table.
One elite high school prospect who recently visited Chapel Hill is Carter Meadows. The 4-star Washington, D.C. native recently posted on X a photo featuring Meadows, his family, and Belichick.
The text of the post reads, "I want to thank Head Coach Bill Belichick, and the entire coaching staff at UNC Chapel Hill football for a great visit this past weekend! Thank you to Coach Bob Diaco for his interest in me as a student athlete. #GoHeels."
Meadows is an edge rusher in the class of 2026. According to 247Sports.com's composite rankings, he's the No. 98 overall player and No. 11 edge rusher in his class.
The 6-foot-6, 215-pounder is one of the most coveted players in the country. In addition to North Carolina, he has offers from the likes of Michigan, Penn State, South Carolina, Auburn, Florida, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Tennessee, and others.
Some frontrunners are starting to emerge in the recruiting battle for Meadows. He has unofficially visited Penn State, and it is being reported that he will soon visit Michigan.
UNC seems to be right in the mix, though. What is drawing Meadows' attention is obviously the clout that Belichick brings to the table. It is a sign that the Tar Heels are finding a way to maximize what their new head coach has to offer today's up and coming stars.