As North Carolina enters the home stretch of its spring season, the Tar Heels have continued their work on the recruiting trail, hosting recruits across March and April. Bill Belichick and the UNC coaching staff will further their recruiting efforts over the weekend as seven prospects in the class of 2026 will take official visits to Chapel Hill.
Here is breakdown of the weekend's official visitors list:
Dereon Albert takes the first of five official visits over the weekend, as he visits North Carolina. The trip will make 4-star prospect's second trip to Chapel Hill in the last three weeks. Albert also has official visits scheduled to Arkansas (June 6-8), Tulane (June 12-14), Tennessee (June 15-18), and Mississippi State (20-22).
2024 Stats: 85 tackles, 22 tackles-for-loss, nine sacks, and two fumble recoveries
Manoah Faupusa will take his first official visit to North Carolina. The 3-star defensive tackle was named the West Catholic Athletic League’s defensive lineman of the year in 2024 and recently announced his transfer ro Santa Margarita Catholic ahead of the 2025 season.
2024 Stats: 20 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, and one sack
Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Caise received an offer from North Carolina on February 20 and this weekend's official visit will mark his first this cycle. The 3-star defensive tackle is also scheduled to take official visits to Stanford (April 25), UCLA (May 10), Washington (June 7), and Colorado State (June 20).
2024 Stats: 75 tackles, eight tackles-for-loss, and two sacks
A 3-star prospect out of Westlake Villaga, CA, Joseph Peko will make the cross-country trip to Chapel Hill over the weekend. UNC entered his recruitment with an offer on February 25, joining the likes of USC, Colorado, Michigan State, and Oregon in vying for his services. Peko is the son of former NFL nose tackles Domata Peko, who was hired by Colorado in January as the school's defensive line coach.
As Lyrik Pettis enters the home stretch of his recruitment, the Shelby, NC native will begin his string of official visits with North Carolina. The 2026 safety will also take official visits to NC State (June 6) and Duke (June 13). Pettis trimmed his list of finalists to six schools in March, as UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest, Rice, and Sam Houston State are all in the running.
2024 Stats: 76 tackles, four tackles-for-loss, and two interceptions
North Carolina will receive the first official visit from Jimmy-Phrisco Phillips, a 3-star defensive tackle out of Katy, TX. The Tar Heels extended an offer to Phillips in February.
D'Various Surratt will join teammate Lyrik Pettis in taking an official visit to Chapel Hill over the weekend. The 3-star safety has also scheduled OVs to NC State (June 6), Duke (June 13), and Virginia Tech (June 20). The three ACC program join the Tar Heels, Wake Forest, Wisconsin, Charlotte, and Sam Houston State in Surratt's list of final eight schools.
Commitment Date: July 1
TJ White has become a frequent visitor at North Carolina, as his official visit over the weekend will mark his second trip in three weeks. The OV comes on the heels of White's unofficial visit to Knoxville on April 5. Tennessee (June 13), Wisconsin (May 30), Florida State (June 6), and Mississippi State (June 20) are also slated to receive official visits from the 4-star linebacker.
2024 Stats: 102 tackles, 22 tackles-for-loss, 11 sacks, two forced fumbles
After receiving an offer from North Carolina in February, 2026 offensive tackle Wilson Zierer is scheduled to visit Chapel Hill. Zierer has had a busy spring on the recruiting trail, taking unofficial visits to Alabama and Auburn. He has official visits scheduled to Auburn (May 30), Georgia (May 16-18), and Pittsburgh (June 4).
