Three Predictions: North Carolina, Lamar Brown, Ole Miss

Rivals national recruiting analyst Sam Spiegelman has three predictions on Bill Belichick’s defensive haul in the 2026 class, a two-way standout and a future receiver commitment for Ole Miss.

As Bill Belichick continues along in his first season at Chapel Hill, there is a strong sense that winds of change are coming to the North Carolina football program. In talking with recruits and family members of recruits that have visited campus already this spring, there is buzz that Belichick is “locked in” with the Tar Heels rebuilding the roster to fit his vision.

Along the way, several blue-chip recruits on the defensive side of the ball have raved about the new culture being installed, including some Rivals250 edge defenders, defensive linemen and defensive backs who love Belichick’s intensity.

Big names to watch include in-state targets Zavion Griffin-Haynes, Keshawn Stancil and Trashawn Ruffin, among others.

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Lamar Brown is the top-ranked interior offensive lineman in the 2026 Rivals250, though some of his leading contenders are pursuing the four-star target to play along the defensive front. During his workout at UA Next in New Orleans, Brown shined playing both defensive end and lining up inside at guard. Brown had a compelling case to be the Offensive Line MVP and was squarely in the conversation for Defensive Line MVP honors as well.

In this analyst’s opinion, Brown will eventually make his way to the offensive line on Saturdays. He’s directly in the five-star conversation – with fantastic feet, power and the ability to block excellent in space and reach multiple levels of defenders. He’s got NFL OL written all over him.

Xavier McDonald is one of the most coveted pass-catchers in the Rivals250. Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State are pressing to keep the four-star WR close to home, and LSU and Auburn are both working to pull him out of state.

The Rebels have successfully kept the state’s best in-state since Lane Kiffin and Kelvin Bolden arrived in Oxford, and we are expecting the same sort of trajectory with McDonald. I’ve logged a new FutureCast for the Rebels to win out with the Rivals250 WR from Morton (Miss.).

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