Four-star defensive tackle flips his commit from Texas A&M to North Carolina

Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels are at it again, landing another elite Class of 2026 talent.
Western Carolina v North Carolina
Western Carolina v North Carolina | Lance King/GettyImages

The rumors that have been circulating over the last few days are now confirmed:

Four-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin has flipped his commitment from Texas A&M to North Carolina.

Ruffin is a massive presence, standing at 6-foot-3 while weighing 340-pounds. The Mount Olive, North Carolina native originally committed to the Aggies in October of 2024, but has since changed his mind, aiming to stay in-state to begin his college football journey.

Currently, 247Sports tabs Ruffin as the No. 12-ranked prospect from the state of North Carolina in the 2026 recruiting class. He's also viewed as a top-25-ranked player at his position.

Ruffin becomes the ninth hard commit for the Tar Heels within the 2026 recruiting cycle. He is not the first defensive lineman in this class to commit to the UNC football program, as three-star Davis Jackson pledged to North Carolina on March 9.

While some may be caught up with some photos of Belichick doing yoga on a beach with his girlfriend that have surfaced, don't let it fool you: the UNC football program is putting in the WORK on the recruiting trail. You can already see the significant impact his, along with the other new staff additions, presence has made in just a few short months on the job.

It's probably very safe to say that the Tar Heels aren't done on the recruiting trail, as there's still plenty of elite talent out there for the UNC football program to swoop up.

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