Elite Class of 2026 pass rusher set to visit North Carolina this weekend

If you play defense and want to make it to the NFL some day, what better place to accomplish your goals than the University of North Carolina?

Since Bill Belichick's arrival as the UNC football program's head coach, the Tar Heels have been out and about recruiting some of the top available talent (both in the transfer portal as well as the traditional high school recruiting route).

This weekend, the Tar Heels will have a huge visit on tap, as On3's Steve Wiltfong reported that one of the top edge rushers in the Class of 2026 will make his way to Chapel Hill.

That player is none other than Carter Meadows, a Washington DC native. While he's currently regarded as a four-star prospect by both 247Sports and On3, there's belief that he will quick rise to five-star status over the next couple of months.

One thing is for certain: Meadows is regarded by many as the top available prospect from the District of Columbia.

North Carolina isn't alone in its pursuit of Meadows. In fact, Meadows has earned offers from a significant amount of top-tier Division I programs, including Michigan, Penn State, Georgia and LSU (just to name a few).

Under Belichick's direction, the UNC football program hopes to join the short list of elite college football teams, as they've already been putting in a tremendous amount of work to ensure that the best talent available finds its way to Chapel Hill.

Carter Meadows fits that mold perfectly. The hope is that his weekend visit to campus will help show him that North Carolina is a tremendous fit for him when the time comes to take his talents to the collegiate level.