Bill Belichick hasn't even coached a real snap yet for North Carolina, but he's already working on building something long-term for the Tar Heels.
He's building for the future via the 2026 recruiting class, his first as North Carolina's head coach, and he just landed two big commitments for that effort.
One of those was a re-commitment from four-star EDGE Zavion Griffin-Haynes, who had originally committed to UNC and former head coach Mack Brown but opened up his recruitment due to the coaching change. He evaluated things, and with Belichick now leading the way, the Tar Heels have come back to the forefront of his mind.
Griffin-Haynes is a four-star recruit, ranked as the No. 24 EDGE in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite. His brother, three-star linebacker Jayden Griffin-Haynes, also committed to the Tar Heels.
BREAKING: Class of 2026 brothers Jayden and Zavion Griffin-Haynes have Committed to North Carolina, they tell me for @on3recruits
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) June 5, 2025
“The Best play for the Best”https://t.co/gsAblcaqXj pic.twitter.com/3H991gWrxa
“It is great to be committed to North Carolina and to be going to the same school as my brother,” Zavion told On3 regarding his decision. “It came down to development, relationships and academics for me. I am planning to come in, work hard and play early.”
The brothers are from Rolesville, North Carolina, so playing for Belichick and the Tar Heels allows them to stay in-state. That's a massive win for North Carolina in a recruiting sense, but it is also big for Zavion and Jayden as well.
“Chapel Hill is the spot to be. I get to stay home, play for a great staff and be one of the hometown kids that the fans love. The environment has changed and I get to be a part of it," Zavion continued.
As mentioned, Belichick is building one heck of a 2026 class, and the Griffin-Haynes brothers are a part of that.
According to 247Sports, North Carolina's 2026 class now features 17 commitments and is the No. 15 overall recruiting class in the country.
If Belichick can combine recruiting success with big wins at the college level, he very well may reach levels he once attained as head coach of the New England Patriots.
Of course, building that kind of dynasty is a "one step at a time" proposition, but UNC is doing some good work in that regard this offseason.
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