UNC flips elite CB recruit from PSU amid Nittany Lions turmoil

North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick. Eakin Howard-Imagn Images

Bill Belichick, UNC flip elite CB recruit from Penn State amid Nittany Lions turmoil

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Nov 13, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The pillaging of the Penn State Nittany Lions' 2026 recruiting class continues in the wake of the firing of James Franklin. The latest news is that Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels have gotten in on the action.

David Davis is a four-star cornerback from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He's a recruit right in Penn State's backyard, so his commitment to the Nittany Lions in March 2025 made sense. Davis held on to the commitment after Franklin was fired, but not for long. He started looking around, and that led to some movement. North Carolina offered him on Oct. 14 and then West Virginia followed suit on Oct. 24.

The four-star officially visited with both the Mountaineers and Tar Heels, but it was the official visit to Chapel Hill that caused him to end up breaking it off with Penn State. He was at North Carolina to watch the Tar Heels beat Stanford.

“UNC had a killer weekend, especially their defense,” Davis told InsideCarolina.com after the visit. “They’re definitely moving up on my list.”

His decommitment and flip were announced on Thursday, so it didn't take all to long for the vibes from that visit to lead to action.

BREAKING: Four-Star CB David Davis has Flipped his Commitment from Penn State to North Carolina, he tells me for @rivals⁰⁰The 6’0 190 CB from Pittsburgh, PA had been Committed to the Nittany Lions since March⁰⁰“Feels great being a part of history”⁰⁰https://t.co/gCuslZ5IY2 pic.twitter.com/fqNMTlBYLG
— Hayes Fawcett (@Hayesfawcett3) November 13, 2025

New North Carolina Tar Heels commitment David Davis is an elite athlete

Playing for Imani Christian Academy as a senior, On3 ranks Davis as a cornerback, while 247Sports considers him an athlete recruit. It makes sense, too. He can do anything on the football field.

As a senior, he rushed 29 times for 416 yards and four touchdowns while catching 19 passes for 511 yards and nine touchdowns. On defense, he notched four interceptions, six pass breakups and 23 tackles.

He's an elite athlete, and the 247Sports Composite ranks him as the No. 26 athlete in the 2026 class.

With that said, Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels are recruiting Davis as a safety, but they do think he can play nickel or corner as well.

"The defense really stepped up and impressed me, I'm not going to lie," Davis told 247Sports regarding his official visit. "I really liked seeing their scheme, their coverages, what they run, how they switch up based on what offensive look they see. I think I'd be a great fit in their defense. I can play nickel, cornerback, or safety. They are recruiting me for safety but said I could end up anywhere in the secondary."

Belichick's 2026 class is huge. Davis will go down as UNC's 36th 2026 commitment. It's a class that's ranked No. 15 nationally.

As far as the Nittany Lions are concerned, Davis is now the third recruit who has flipped away from Penn State just this week.

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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