Jan 18, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head football coach Bill Belichick with former Tar Heels basketball coach Roy Williams before the game at Dean E. Smith Center. Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick Takes On Deion Sanders For 3-Star Recruit

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Scott Salomon | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 8:00 AM ET

Bill Belichick is getting in between a coach and his son. He is also butting heads with Deion Sanders at the same time.

The North Carolina Tar Heels and the Colorado Buffaloes are both recruiting a three-star defensive lineman named Joseph Peko. Peko's father happens to be Domata Peko, an assistant coach for the Buffaloes.

Peko had named Colorado and North Carolina as his top two schools. The 2026 recruit will either upset Belichick, or Sanders and Peko.

Here is the first Coach Belichick vs. Coach Prime battle. Peko can play for a coach who has won six Super Bowls, or a coach who was a first-ballot Pro Football Hall of Famer. The side show is also the fact Peko's father is on Colorado's staff.

Colorado might have the advantage. They have Peko on staff and his older brother, edge rusher Domata Peko, Jr. will be attending Colorado as a JUCO transfer. Peko visited Boulder with his brother and they had a good visit according to reports.

Peko visited Chapel Hill in April. Belichick turned on the 73-year old charm and made the top two. They were the leader after the visit, according to Peko.

Home? @BrandonHuffman @GregBiggins @BlairAngulo @ChadSimmons_ pic.twitter.com/3B1rqOaa3k
— Joseph Peko (@JosephPeko) June 30, 2025

"In my process, North Carolina has definitely solidified itself as the top school," Peko told 247Sports national analyst Blair Angulo following his trip to Chapel Hill. "Definitely a school that's going to be in the end game of my final decision. Just being with coach Bill Belichick and the rest of the staff, just hearing their knowledge of the game and the way that they'll use me in their system, it just feels comfortable in that situation."

The younger Peko is the No. 124 defensive lineman in 247Sports composite rankings. He stands 6-3 and weights 310 pounds. He had 40 tackles, seven for loss and four sacks in his junior campaign.

Peko has already eliminated the University of Southern California, Oregon Ducks and the Washington Huskies.

It is going to come down to the wire and anything can happen in recruiting. Although, it is hard to say no to your father and brother. Then again, it is also hard to not want to be coached by a guy who coached the best of the best and went to the Super Bowl eight times.

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This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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