Do you remember what was Deion Sanders’ reaction when he learned about Bill Belichick trying his hand at college football? “I know this is a great thing for College Football & North Carolina. God bless u Coach, if you’re happy I am 2!” said Coach Prime. But now the question remains whether Deion will continue being happy when it comes to Belichick’s strategic recruitment moves. 

It’s highly likely that he won’t be happy. After all, now it’s about wooing a recruit to bolster their 2026 class. That’s none other than defensive lineman Joseph Peko. The final fight has now come down to Deion vs Belichick. The desperation looks real for both the head coaches. As per On3’s 2026 recruiting class, North Carolina stands at No.20, with 35 recruits, and Colorado stands at No.67 with 10 recruits. But in this race, Deion’s Colorado holds an edge.  

On August 4, Rivals tweeted, “Colorado and North Carolina are battling for DL Joseph Peko, per @adamgorney 👀.” This season has been relatively quiet for Colorado. The Buffaloes landed a total of just four players for a group that ranks No. 100 in the nation. Deion pushed hard to woo No.1 offensive tackle Felix Ojo, but lost the race to Texas Tech. Right now, they are trying to win defensive lineman Peko’s heart, who is out of Los Angeles and took an official visit to Boulder on June 16. Colorado holds some hope in the Peko recruiting race. As the tweet shared, “His dad, Domata, coaches Colorado’s d-line, and his brother is committed to the Buffalos.”

Peko is the son of former NFL standout Domata Peko, while his older brother, EDGE Domata Peko Jr., is also on board with the Buffs as a class of 2026 junior college commit. Deion and co. did not take much time to send an offer to the three-star defensive lineman from Westlake Village, California. Peko received the offer on February 24, a week after his father, a 15-year former NFL defensive lineman, joined as the Buffs’ staff. Was the race to be Peko’s top two suitors easy?

The young chap has already picked up the buzz while playing in high school. Peko boosted his recruiting stock with 40 total tackles, seven TFLs, four sacks, and a forced fumble. Before that season, he racked up 38 total tackles, seven TFLs, and five sacks. With this, Peko already caught the attention of 247Sports national recruiting analyst Greg Biggins. The analyst believes that the 6-foot-3, 310-pound prospect will be a “true nose guard at the college level.” Peko’s value lies in the fact that he has enough skills to play other spots on the defensive line. Right now, it’s Deion vs Belichick. But initially, a lot of programs tried their luck, including Oregon, Michigan, Arizona, and Michigan State Spartans (Peko’s father’s alma mater). But towards whom is the hot recruit inching?  

Bill Belichick has a shot in the Joseph Peko race despite the distance 

Things might look tough for Belichick in the Peko race. There remains an obvious question: how does North Carolina, over 1,500 miles from Boulder and with no family ties, even have a shot? The answer is Bill Belichick himself, NFL development, and elite coaching. The head coach’s presence holds weight, which Deion fails to achieve. If Colorado is selling NFL culture, Belichick is the NFL.

Talking about North Carolina Tar Heels’ chances, Peko shared, “In my process, North Carolina has definitely solidified itself as the top school. 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.” On the contrary, about Colorado, he stated, “What makes Colorado a great school to me is the family culture they have built and their NFL-style coaches.” His final decision will come down to one factor. And that’s surely not going to be an NIL war or a popularity contest. Then?

Peko will be signing up for the program that will contribute to his development as a player. “What plays the biggest factor in my recruitment is an environment that I feel most comfortable in and a place that’s gonna develop me to where I want to be,” said the three-star recruit. But in this process, Bill Belichick needs to strengthen the ground under his feet.

As Josh Pate already came with a harsh reality check. He stated, “I just think one of the laziest takes out there has been ‘Belichick will succeed at North Carolina.’ And the reason is that college football is just like the NFL. Now, college football is not just like the NFL. Like, at what point does the mechanism of the fact that we pay players? Well, that’s broad strokes. That’s like saying my little niece in preschool art class and Van Gogh were both artists. Cause they painted. I could say that. It’s ignorant.” As the race to land Joseph Peko continues, Belichick is carrying an ACC title drought of 45 years. Now, let’s see who gets lucky to bring Peko home.