Tennessee sees 4-star OL flip commitment to Bill Belichick, North Carolina
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No. 22 Tennessee started its season off on the right foot by beating Syracuse 45-26 on a neutral field in Atlanta, GA. North Carolina’s first contest under Bill Belichick couldn’t have gone more sideways, as TCU came to Chapel Hill and soundly beat the Tar Heels 48-14.
Despite these results, it was North Carolina who took a recruiting victory over Tennessee on Thursday. According to Rivals’ Hayes Fawcett, 2026 4-star offensive tackle J.B. Shabazz has flipped from the Vols to the Tar Heels.
Shabazz, who stands 6-foot-7, 315 lbs., initially committed to Tennessee in July. He is ranked No. 247 in the 2026 recruiting class on the 247Sports Composite. The Kernersville, NC native is slotted No. 22 among OT prospects and is ranked 13th in his state.
Shabazz claimed in Sept. 2023 — on X/Twitter — that UNC was the first school to give him a collegiate offer. He also has a video montage of the unofficial visit he took for a game versus Miami the same year.
Whether Shabazz had a video of a trip to Tennessee prior to his decommitment is unknown. What appears clear, though, is that he and the Tar Heels were one another’s first love. Now, barring any other developments, they’ll get their relationship started next season.
North Carolina now has 37 commitments in its 2026 recruiting class, ranking No. 17 nationally on the Composite. Tennessee is down to 24, but still has the Composite’s No. 8 class for 2026.
