Bill Belichick’s first year at the helm in Chapel Hill didn’t exactly go to plan, but the long-term vision for the program appears to be largely intact. Belichick and Mike Lombardi landed the 19th-ranked high school class in the 2026 cycle with 40 incoming freshmen, and are off to a strong start in 2027 with three commitments.
On Wednesday, Belichick and his staff got good news from one of their latest targets in next year’s cycle, four-star tight end Mason Oglesby. The 6-foot-4, 220-pound Indiana native released his top six programs and included the Tar Heels alongside Purdue, Kansas, Missouri, USC, and the reigning national champion Indiana Hoosiers.
Top 6‼️@IndianaFootball @KU_Football @UNCFootball @BoilerFootball @uscfb @MizzouFootball pic.twitter.com/lqyOLZcu3G
— Mason Oglesby 4⭐️ (@Mason_Oglesby11) February 18, 2026
Tar Heels make top six for 2027 4-star Mason Oglesby alongside Indiana
Oglesby is the 338th-ranked player in the 2027 class according to 247Sports Composite, and the No. 7 player in Indiana. He’s a top target for Curt Cignetti as he heads into his junior season, and though there have been predictions logged for him to join the Hoosiers, UNC is at least ostensibly still in the race.
Oglesby can function as an oversized slot receiver or an in-line tight end, and at his size displays real breakaway speed on tape. He could eventually develop into a weapon for incoming offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, and keep the Tar Heels up with the trends of modern offense in college football.
For years, spread offenses and up-tempo attacked reined supreme in college football, but recently, and especially this past season, multiple tight end sets came into fashion with contenders like Ohio State, Oregon, and Miami relying on them to create a tactical advantage.
As Belichick previously unlocked in the NFL, using heavier personnel with multiple tight ends puts the defense in a bind, forced to decide between matching the size with an additional linebacker to stop the run while sacrificing coverage bodies, or staying small to prevent explosive passes but risk getting bowled over by the ground game.
Oglesby could eventually become that type of versatile chess piece for the Tar Heels if Belichick and Lombardi can win his commitment over the next 10 months or so. North Carolina added two tight ends in the 2026 high school class: Dream Rashad and Carson Sneed, along with adding Jelani Thurman, Jordan Washington, and Jaxxon Warren through the Transfer Portal.
With Freddie Kitchens calling the plays in 2025, North Carolina tight ends caught just 29 passes all season, with Jake Johnson leading the way with 16 catches for 144 yards. However, at Arkansas, Petrino’s tight ends produced 844 yards and seven touchdowns on 44 receptions.