UNC adds to 2026 football recruiting class with Massachusetts offensive lineman
UNC adds to 2026 football recruiting class with Massachusetts offensive lineman The UNC football team's 2026 recruiting class continues to improve.
Football players want Bill Belichick to be their head coach – and the North Carolina Tar Heels provide a perfect example of that.
Since hiring Belichick in December, UNC continues to land recruits week-after-week. North Carolina secured its quarterback of the future in Class of 2025 recruit Bryce Baker, landed a plethora of defensive talent in the transfer portal and watched its 2026 recruiting class begin to take shape.
The Tar Heels already have three 4-stars in their 2026 class: in-state defensive linemen Trashawn Ruffin and Zavion Griffin-Haynes, plus another quarterback in Loganville, Ga.'s Travis Burgess. Due to UNC's early success on the 2026 recruiting class, it has one of the highest-ranked classes across college football.
On Thursday afternoon, North Carolina added another commitment to its next recruiting class, landing Belmont (Mass.) offensive lineman Nick Fiumara.
Belichick and the Tar Heels made a strong impression during Fiumara's recent visit, because he committed less than a week later, according to InsideCarolina's Don Callahan.
According to Fiumara's 247Sports recruiting profile, he is Massachusetts' seventh-ranked player – and the 74th-ranked offensive tackle nationally.
UNC loaded up on linemen during its current offseason: replacing its entire defensive line, plus a pair of starters on the offensive line. North Carolina returns Austin Blaske, Aidan Banfield and Treyvon Green, bringing some much-needed protection for who'll likely be the Tar Heels' third different Week 1 starter – in three years.
As he prepares for his senior campaign, Fiumara hopes to lead Belmont Hill School into the playoffs again – for a third-straight season. At this time next summer, Fiumara will already be in Chapel Hill, ready to prove himself worthy of a starting spot in the trenches.
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