Winter Park High School (Fla.) junior Ayden Pouncey recently revealed 10 finalists in his recruitment. UNC football head coach Bill Belichick and his crew made the cut, along with Michigan, Notre Dame, LSU, UCF, Georgia, Syracuse, Miami, Florida State, and perceived frontrunner Florida.
Pouncey, a 6-foot-2, 160-pound four-star safety, is the younger brother of two former Gators in Ethan and Jordan Pouncey. Plus, his most recent recruiting visit was to Florida, and he’s gone as far as to refer to the Gainesville campus as his “second home.”
Nevertheless, UNC football shouldn’t be counted out of any race. After all, the Tar Heels have built serious momentum on the recruiting trail ever since Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion as head coach of the New England Patriots, assumed the reins in Chapel Hill back in early December.
Ayden Pouncey ranks No. 138 overall, No. 11 among safeties, and No. 20 in Florida on the 247Sports 2026 Composite.

He plans to take official visits this summer and has eyes on a commitment date sometime before his senior season gets underway in the fall.
Meanwhile, UNC boasts four 2026 pledges. Three of those pickups have come within the past two weeks alone.