Tar Heels Receive Another Big News After Committing A Talented Four-star Saturday Evening
In what had become an open secret during this recruiting cycle, four-star linebacker Calvin Thomas officially announced his verbal commitment to Coach Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday.
As previously reported on this site, Thomas had long been leaning toward North Carolina. He made it official over the weekend with a non-binding verbal pledge.
Thomas selected UNC over other notable programs, including Nebraska, SMU, and Texas. Texas was once viewed as the frontrunner, given its proximity to his Houston-area home and his parents’ initial preference for the Longhorns.
Rivals ranks Thomas as the No. 9 linebacker in the 2026 class.
He completed his official visits in June, with Nebraska hosting him last in hopes of making a final impression. At one point, Rivals projected him to land with the Cornhuskers, but Thomas later revealed he had fallen in love with Chapel Hill, shifting the momentum.
Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 210 pounds, Thomas strengthens UNC’s 2026 class. His commitment is the 32nd for the Tar Heels, though all are non-binding until Early National Signing Day. He is considered one of Belichick’s biggest recruiting wins so far.
Thomas is versatile and can play both inside and outside linebacker. According to MaxPreps, he recorded 69 tackles and seven sacks as a junior, earning recognition as one of Texas’s top high school talents.
This marks Belichick’s sixth early commitment from a blue-chip recruit. If Thomas signs, he’ll join a top-20 class—one that Belichick and GM Mike Lombardi have built impressively.
July has been especially productive for the Tar Heels on the recruiting front. They’ve also landed four-star wide receivers Keeyun Chapman and Carnell Warren, four-star defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin, four-star quarterback Travis Burgess, and four-star edge rusher Zavion Griffin-Haynes.
Ruffin, a key piece of the class, flipped from Texas A&M. Belichick also won a recruiting battle with Auburn’s Hugh Freeze for Burgess, ranked as the No. 22 quarterback nationally. Griffin-Haynes, who de-committed from UNC following Mack Brown’s retirement, recommitted after Belichick was named head coach in December.
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