North Carolina football is entering a pivotal summer stretch with Bill Belichick at the controls. The Tar Heels will learn which top recruits will choose them on the college football recruiting trail. Including the nation's No. 4 ranked wide receiver who named UNC to his top eight — despite heavy SEC interest.

Calvin Russell of Northwestern High in Opa Locka, Florida placed the ‘Heels in his top eight Thursday. Hayes Fawcett of On3 not only confirmed Belichick's UNC making the cut, but revealed the competition they face.

The towering 6-foot-5, 195-pound wide receiver lists Atlantic Coast Conference rivals Florida State, Syracuse and nearby Miami on his final list. But that's not all. Southeastern Conference powerhouses LSU and Florida are in the hunt. The former is known for pumping out high-profile NFL talent. Ja'Marr Chase and Brian Thomas Jr. represent LSU icons who starred at WR.

Lastly, Oregon and Michigan from the Big Ten made Russell's top eight. Both have a long history of pursuing state of Florida talent.

North Carolina and Belichick, however, are in a solid spot to land one of the nation's best 2026 prospects.

North Carolina, Bill Belichick landed ex-SEC WR before

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UNC won over other SEC prospects before.

North Carolina bolstered its 2025 roster via the college football transfer portal. Former Tennessee WR Nathan Leacock committed to the Tar Heels on May 25. Leacock also left Purdue before entering the portal. But the 6-foot-3 WR emerged as a strong portal coup for the eight-time Super Bowl winner and the ‘Heels.

Belichick's 2026 recruiting efforts have yielded mixed results. But UNC did win over another SEC target. Class of '26 quarterback Travis Burgess turned down an opportunity to play at Auburn for North Carolina.

Now UNC is in the hunt for a WR compared to Tee Higgins of the Cincinnati Bengals by Andrew Ivins of 247Sports. Ivins adds Russell brings “above-the-rim athleticism that makes him a uniquely dangerous target, especially down in the red zone” in his prospect evaluation. Russell is also the state of Florida's No. 2 overall prospect who landed 52 total offers.