Bill Belichick’s first season as a college head coach has been disappointing so far. However, the Tar Heels HC is making some big strides for the future. North Carolina continues to steal recruits from a broken Penn State, powered by the absence of James Franklin. DB Julian Peterson has committed to North Carolina after withdrawing his pledge from Penn State.

Penn State thought firing James Franklin was the right decision. But with the showman out of the picture, the future of the Nittany Lions took a big hit. PSU is now a sitting duck in the recruiting cycle. Commits are losing hope, and other programs are making their move. Bill Belichick has made full use of this crisis, having secured former PSU commit Julian Peterson for his 2026 class.

Like most Penn State decommits, Peterson withdrew his pledge when James Franklin was fired. North Carolina offered him on the same day he decommitted. He officially visited Chapel Hill 3 days later, for the Virginia game. And a little over a month later, Bill Belichick scored his commitment. Peterson lasted almost 11 months as a Penn State Pledge, having committed on January 25.

Peterson is the 58th-ranked DB in the 2026 class and is the 9th-best prospect in New Jersey. The 3-star prospect plays both offense and defense for Winslow High. Peterson is currently wrapping up his senior season and has hauled in 27 tackles, 1 sack, and 1 pass breakup. His team is also on the verge of securing an NJSIAA Group 4 Championship this weekend.

According to the On3 website, 18 prospects have left the Penn State camp since Franklin’s exit. The Hokies’ HC himself is raiding his former home, having secured one decommit, and is close to landing some more. Interestingly, North Carolina appears to have become a common destination for former Penn State hopefuls.

North Carolina is feeding off Penn State’s failures

Peterson is actually the third 2026 DB to move to UNC from Penn State, following Jaziel Hart and David Davis. The trio picked North Carolina within a week of each other. UNC has actually had its eyes on the Penn State class for a long time. In February, it was reported that the Tar Heels were trying to flip WRs Jahsiear Rogers and Lavar Keys. Both ended up decommitting from Penn State.

North Carolina’s DB class has now ballooned to 11 commits, which also includes two high-profile flips in Jakob Weatherspoon and Kenton Dopson. Weatherspoon was an Ohio State commit, which is not a program where athletes usually flip. There’s clearly something brewing at UNC. The 2026 class is 22 places up from this year’s, which was at No. 44. Bill Belichick is quietly building a fantastic roster for the future.

Right after his first visit, Julian Peterson told Inside Carolina that UNC was a “top school.” It only took Bill Belichick a month to secure the DB, while PSU had to wait for more than a year. Peterson was clearly disillusioned with Happy Valley after James Franklin’s departure, which highlights the significant role coaches play in commitments. James Kraft’s gamble hasn’t worked out for PSU’s present or future.

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