Bill Belichick and members of the Tar Heels new staff have been hitting the 2026 recruiting trail hard since the start of January and now they have their first commitment.
On Sunday afternoon, 2026 3✮ CB Marcellous Ryan announced via his social media that he has committed to Carolina following an offer from defensive backs coach Armond Hawkins on Friday evening. Ryan also held offers from Arizona, Arizona State, Georgia Tech, Nevada, Oregon State, San Diego State, USC and Washington while BYU, LSU and Oregon were expressing interests.
Ryan, the No. 510 overall player and No. 43 corner in the 2026 class according to 247Sports Composite Player Rankings, just concluded his junior season at Junipero Serra High School in Gardena, CA. In eleven games, Ryan put up career numbers racking up 47 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, three quarterback hurries, three interceptions, 12 passes defensed and one fumble recovery. He also returned kicks for the team, averaging 23.5 yards per return on his 14 attempts. Last year, as a sophomore, he is credited with just eight total tackles despite playing in every game, but his film shows that is flawed. He was once again a dynamic kick returner, returning 18 kicks for an average of 21.0 yards. This followed a freshman season where he bursted onto the scene by collecting 26 total tackles, one interception, nine passes defensed and a forced fumble.
When you throw on Ryan’s tape, there is a lot to like about what you see. Despite being 5’10, he has the capability to hold his own on the outside, similar to what we saw the last couple of years from Alijah Huzzie. He thrives in both man and zone coverage situations, in large part because of the speed that allows him to stick with almost any receiver 1-on-1 and break on the football to make plays when he’s in zone. You have to like just how fluid his hips are especially for a high school junior and how he is able to shift his weight to put him in position to make plays. He is a willing run defender and a strong tackler, something that is welcome for a Tar Heel defensive back room that has had their issues with missed tackles. He might not be the guy with gaudy interception numbers, but he is someone who consistently makes plays on the football. You don’t see him use a lot of physicality at the line of scrimmage, so that is one area that the staff might work with him on once he arrives on campus. While he might be ranked outside of the top 500, this is a strong addition to the 2026 class and one that could take another step and become a blue-chipper by the end of his senior season.
With his commitment, the Tar Heels are back to having two players committed to their 2026 class with Ryan joining fellow 3✮ Zaid Lott, who remained committed through the coaching transition. The class now ranks No. 38 overall and No. 8 in the ACC according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.
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