Bill Belichick and his staff have been pushing hard to flip one of the top defensive linemen in the 2026 class and on Monday night, the team sealed the deal.
As first reported by On3 Sports recruiting reporter Hayes Fawcett, the Tar Heels have completed the flip of 2026 4✮ DL Trashawn Ruffin from Texas A&M. The flip comes just a little over a week since his first unofficial visit to Chapel Hill where he was able to take in the basketball team’s game vs. Duke alongside Tar Heel legends Lawrence Taylor and Julius Peppers.
He is scheduled to officially visit Chapel Hill on the weekend of June 6th and will not become one of the Tar Heels top recruiters in this class, especially in-state.
Ruffin, the No. 195 overall player and No. 24 defensive lineman in the 2026 class, hails from North Duplin High School in Mount Olive, NC and measures in at 6’3, 307 lbs. This past season, as a junior, he collected 34 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery in nine games. The year prior, as a sophomore, he broke out by tallying 52 total tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. He got his career off to a nice start in 2022, when he finished with 31 total tackles, 2.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Ruffin is a monster in the middle of the line that clogs everything up, especially in the run game. He does a tremendous job of simply shedding blocks and making plays on the ball carrier in the backfield. He has a strong upper body that allows him to throw blockers aside with ease. When he gets to the ball carrier, he treats them like rag dolls, simply throwing them to the ground. He brings some nice athleticism for his size, which allows him to cover multiple gaps, something that is sorely needed in this defensive front right now. He’ll need to bring his pad level down a bit and there will be a natural learning curve for him, but he has the tools to be a three or four year contributor along the defensive front for the team.
With his commitment, the Tar Heels’ 2026 class has their first headliner and the class jumps into the top 25 in the process. The class sits No. 22 overall and No. 6 in the ACC according to 247Sports Composite Team Rankings.
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