Heel Tough Blog: Who Do We Feel Best About- April 11th

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The weekend of April 11th was one of the biggest recruiting weekends of the 2026 recruiting class as nine targets took their official visits to campus. The weekend produced a commitment from 3✮ DL Jimmy-Phrisco Alo-Suliafu and saw the team make some nice progress with some of their top targets. Here is a look at the other eight guys that were on campus the weekend of April 11th and our rankings of whom we feel best about from a Tar Heel perspective following their official trips to Chapel Hill.

3✮ DL Manoah Faupusa- Santa Margarita Catholic (Rancho Santa Margarita, CA)

Faupusa entered the weekend on commitment watch and while he may not have actually popped yet, it feels like the Tar Heels put themselves firmly in the driver’s seat in this race. His ties to Arizona are still in play here, but until they get an official visit scheduled, it appears that Belichick and the Tar Heels are in control.

3✮ DL Dereon Albert- Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS)

Albert is the guy that the Tar Heels may have made the biggest leap with this weekend. According to Don Callahan of Inside Carolina, UNC is strongly in the lead for his services over some of the SEC options that he has on his official visit schedule. Barring a mind-blowing visit elsewhere, it feels like the team has this one heavily in their favor.

4✮ LB TJ White- Jackson Academy (Jackson, MS)

White is another target the team seemed to solidify themselves with, but this appears to still be a neck-and-neck battle between UNC and Tennessee. The Tar Heels might be a slight favorite because of how well they are doing with his teammates, but the team has to continue their push for him if they are going to come away with his commitment when it’s all said and done.

UR S Lyrik Pettis- Crest (Shelby, NC)

Pettis came into the weekend as the in-state prospect with the better chance of landing in Chapel Hill and it still feels that way right now. Fellow in-state schools Duke and NC State will probably still get official visits from him in June and Wake Forest could also be added to that list at some point, but it’s the Tar Heels who have grabbed the lead because of this visit. Now the question is, can they hold onto it?

3✮ S D’Various Surratt- Crest (Shelby, NC)

The Tar Heels entered the weekend with some ground to make up on the favorite NC State, but it appeared that they did. According to multiple reports, this is now a legitimate three horse race after this weekend and the Tar Heels are seen as a legit contender. It still feels like the Wolfpack are the favorites here until proven otherwise but it doesn’t feel nearly as far-fetched that the Tar Heels could end up with his commitment as it once did.

3✮ DL Joseph Peko- Oaks Christian (Westlake Village, CA)

Peko is another visitor that entered the weekend with a pretty wide open race for him and just one official visit scheduled. It feels like things leave in a similar spot despite this being the lone visit that he has taken so far. Watch out for Colorado here, as well as USC, the team favored by the On3 Sports Recruiting Prediction Machine.

3✮ DL Tufanua Ionatana Umu-Cais- Cherry Creek (Engelwood, CO)

Umu-Cais came into the weekend with a wide open race for his services and it seems like things are in a similar spot with him. It feels like the Tar Heels can be a legitimate contender here if they want, but they will have a battle on their hands with schools like Washington, Stanford, UCLA and Colorado State, who would keep him much closer to home.

UR OT Wilson Zierer- Rabun Gap-Nacoochee (Rabun Gap, GA)

Zierer came into the weekend as the least likely to commit to the Tar Heels and he is still there as we exit the weekend. Auburn is the heavy favorite to land him and Georgia and Alabama are the only teams seen as legitimate threats to that at this time.