Keeping It Heel
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UNC football adds some New Jersey swagger to its 2026 recruiting class

The Tar Heels latest addition comes from the Garden State, an area that has developed a strong reputation for high school football.
ByNick Delahanty|
Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; A detail of the North Carolina Tar Heels logo on a football during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images
Oct 30, 2021; South Bend, Indiana, USA; A detail of the North Carolina Tar Heels logo on a football during the game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Notre Dame Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Matt Cashore-Imagn Images | Matt Cashore-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick and the UNC football program surely love defensive backs who were previously committed to Penn State!

Not one, not two, but now three former Penn State pledges have flipped their commitment to North Carolina, the latest coming from three-star cornerback Julian Peterson.

Who is Julian Peterson?

Peterson is a 6-foot-2, 190-pound cornerback from Winslow Township High School in New Jersey. Through 10 games during his senior season, Peterson has 27 tackles, a sack, and a pass breakup on the defensive side of the football, and has also scored two rushing touchdowns to showcase his versatility and athleticism.

Now, Peterson (along with his teammate Nyquir Helton, another UNC football commit) aim to lead their school to the NJSIAA Group 4 Championship when they battle against Ramapo High School on November 30 at Rutgers University.

From a former Penn State to commit to a UNC football pledge

When James Franklin was relieved of his duties as the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions, Peterson, like many other high school commits, elected to decommit and re-evaluate his options.

Since making that decision in October, Peterson has focused on three schools: Clemson, Wisconsin, and North Carolina. While it seemed to be a very difficult decision for the three-star corner, in the end, he decided to call Chapel Hill his future home.

Now, Peterson becomes the third former Penn State defensive back commit to pick the Tar Heels. He will join David Denis and Jaziel Hart as part of North Carolina's current 37-man recruiting class.

The holidays aren't slowing down UNC!

Since Tuesday, North Carolina has now earned three commitments- two via the 2026 recruiting class while the other is a JuCo transfer. Give the Tar Heels credit for going out and getting the guys they want to help build the foundation of the program moving forward.

Honestly, at this rate, don't be surprised if more commitments are on the way. High school prospects are truly buying into what Bill Belichick and company are selling, as they want to be part of something special that is brewing in Chapel Hill.

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