Julian Burns has a reputation for being a hard-hitting defensive standout. While he has experience at the linebacker position, Burns has earned the attention from Division I colleges who view him more as a safety.
The good news is: Burns can figure out the best position for him once he joins the program he committed to: North Carolina.
2026 Monroe (La.) Neville safety Julian Burns has committed to North Carolina, he tells @Rivals 🐏
— Sam Spiegelman (@samspiegs) June 13, 2025
Burns has canceled upcoming visits to Arkansas, Mississippi State and Tennessee: https://t.co/vYkhX90pYX pic.twitter.com/npoAACWN4U
On Friday, the UNC football program earned a commitment from Burns, a three-star prospect from the state of Louisiana. The 6-foot-3, 200-pounder was on campus in early June, a visit that seems to have sealed the deal to close his recruitment.
In fact, Burns had other visits lined up. Those visits, to Arkansas, Mississippi State, and Tennessee, respectively, have been cancelled, indicating that the UNC football program has a firm grasp on his commitment.
Burns spoke to Inside Carolina, providing some insight as to why he made this decision while cancelling some upcoming visits:
"Really [UNC] just checked all the boxes: the coaching staff, the people there, the scheme, the fit -- everything was perfect, so I felt like it was the right move."
Burns now becomes the third player from the UNC football program's 2026 recruiting class who is projected to play within the team's secondary. He became the 18th prospect to pledge to the Tar Heels, adding even more talent to an already impressive looking recruiting class.
The UNC football program is doing some really nice work on the recruiting trail, and the scary part is: the Tar Heels seemed far from done in terms of adding more future talent to the mix.