The UNC football teams needs to showcase immediate improvement in its 2026 season, which begins with an August rematch vs. TCU across the pond.
North Carolina sports a solid recruiting class, highlighted by guys like quarterback Travis Burgess and defensive lineman Trashawn Ruffin. The Tar Heels also secured several high-profile transfers, such as quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. and linebacker Derek McDonald.
Looking ahead to its 2027 recruiting class, UNC will soon host another highly-touted prospect. On Wednesday, class of 2027 4-star linebacker Jeremiah Culpepper (Troup County High School, LaGrange (GA)) announced he'll be visiting Chapel Hill.
Culpepper still needs to lock in an official date, but this is a highly-encouraging sign for North Carolina. Right now, Culpepper currently has visits to LSU (May 28-30), Virginia Tech (June 5-7), Ole Miss (June 12-14), Auburn (June 19-21) lined up, with undecided visits also to Tennessee and UNLV.
Culpepper exploded for a breakout junior season, totaling 59 tackles (37 solo), 16 tackles for loss and 12 sacks across 11 games, leading his Tiger teammates to a 10-2 record and a second round State Playoff appearance. In two years as a varsity starter, Culpepper has 107 tackles (67 solo), 24 TFLs and 15 sacks.
4-star LB Jeremiah Culpepper is starting to lock his official dates. A few are schedule and a few are in the works, he tells @247Sports. More from the Top247 prospect: https://t.co/HaS51oASCB pic.twitter.com/QI8qqO80X6
Mired in mediocrity, North Carolina made a coaching hire splash with Bill Belichick in December 2024. The Tar Heels turned in a 4-8 season last year, leading many to believe if Belichick was a one-and-done experiment, but the 8-time Super Bowl Champion is getting another crack.
Once UNC officially locks in a Culpepper visit, it'll have a much clearer picture of its 2027 recruiting class. Already sporting a 4-man class including Charles Roberts, Tasheem Butler, Isaiah Stephens and Skylar Robertson, North Carolina benefits greatly from a future Culpepper addition.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: 4-star linebacker Jeremiah Culpepper to visit UNC football program