One of North Carolina’s top high school prospects has notably left UNC off his radar. He has opted instead to focus entirely on its fiercest competition. It is a blow to the Tar Heels’ recruiting efforts and underscores growing concern around Bill Belichick’s transition to the college game.

Jordan Xavier Perkins, a 6-foot-3, 240-pound defensive lineman out of Durham, N.C., announced his date of commitment to the Class of 2027. The three-star edge rusher has trimmed his list down to five programs, all from the ACC, signaling a major recruiting setback for Belichick. With each of his preferred destinations being a direct conference rival, this development could have significant implications for UNC both on the recruiting trail and in future matchups.

“I’m going to commit on Tuesday, April 14,” Perkins told Rivals. “The finalists are Duke, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, and Virginia Tech.”

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For a program trying to re-establish dominance within its own state, missing out on a five-star-caliber in-state recruit isn’t just a setback; it’s a statement, and not a favorable one. It suggests that the program is failing to resonate with its priority players.

Belichick’s first major hire to serve as the program’s first general manager was Mike Lombardi, whom the program initially saw as a bold, NFL-style overhaul. Critics described them as “arrogant NFL veterans who had no relationships whatsoever with high school players, and not surprisingly, even less so with current college talent.”

Six Super Bowl rings are hard to argue with, but the NFL magic is fading for the head coach. The ON3 reports suggest there is only one in-state commit amongst 70 for UNC this season. It has been missing out on the greatest talent its state has to produce.

During a player and his agent’s visit to Chapel Hill, Lombardi told them, “We don’t fall in love (with players),” and gave a sales pitch about why you would say no to Belichick. Another agent claimed the GM made a sizable initial offer to his client, then kept lowering it as negotiations played out.

“Two people at the university who interacted with the duo during that time said Belichick and Lombardi needed a crash course on how the college name, image, and likeness space worked,” said a source.

UNC needs to change its techniques. The face value of having a former NFL coach might give it a boost, but it still needs to show players it actually wants to recruit and build a relationship. Its lack of enthusiasm could lead it to another year of recruitment disaster.

Xavier Perkins’ top 5 schools

While everyone thought UNC would be an obvious choice for the edge, as North Carolina is his hometown, the recruitment battle narrowed to two clear frontrunners: the Miami Hurricanes football and Virginia Tech. Both programs are making a powerful push, setting up an interesting ACC showdown off the field.

Virginia Tech is on its toes to recruit its top preference on the board. They have been on the recruitment trail for the past few weeks, recruiting many talents. They seem to have a prime chance of closing on the DL. This would be a big win for the Hokies, as they would beat the Miami Hurricanes, their direct rivals, in their own recruitment game. Miami has been holding the throne of best recruitment and increasing its ACC ranking. The hurricanes made a powerful impression on the recruit during his visit, but so did the techs.

“It’s all about that feeling,” Perkins said. “I’ll go where I feel I’m supposed to go. Player development and a family culture are important to me. I want it to feel like family.”

Perkins holds the 48th national ranking and ranks 17th in North Carolina. He also met with Duke, Georgia, and Louisville, each trying to build a strong rapport with the DL.