Bill Belichick continues recruiting trail for UNC with an offer to Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero's brother Giulio Banchero

The recruitment drive by UNC with Bill Belichick at the helm is showing no signs of slowing down. The Tar Heels extended an offer to three-star athlete Giulio Banchero on Friday.

The younger brother of Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero, Guilio, announced the offer on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday.

"After an amazing conversation with @Ballhawk__8 I am super excited to announce I have received an offer from @UNCFootball !!! #GoHeels 👣" he wrote.

The offer from Belichick's UNC is just the second on the Class of 2026 versatile player’s table. Almost a year ago, in Feb. 2024, he received an offer from the Montana State Bobcats.

The 6-ft-2, 175-pound athlete is from O’Dea High School in Seattle, Washington. Banchero plays both wide receiver and cornerback for his school.

The school concluded the 2024 season unbeaten, with a 12-0 record, and was ranked first in Washington by the On3 Composite Ranking. Banchero contributed significantly to the team's record, with 14 receptions for 297 yards and five touchdowns, according to MaxPrep.

Bill Belichick’s recruitment drive, Paolo Banchero’s Duke career, and Giulio Banchero’s UNC throwback

Giulio Banchero is another 2026 prospect in which the Bill Belichick-led UNC has expressed interest. The Tar Heels have already secured some commitments in their 2026 class in Jan. (three-star cornerbacks Marcellous Ryan, Jaden Jefferson and Justin Lewis and three-star quarterback Zaid Lott).

The program has also sent several offers out to top recruits this month, but the offer to Banchero is one of the most interesting to watch, with in-state rivals, the Duke Blue Devils, also possibly in the sweepstakes naturally.

Paolo Banchero played for the Duke Blue Devils from 2021 to 2022. In 2022, he earned first-team All-ACC honors, won the ACC Rookie of the Year Award and was named to the ACC All-Freshman Team.

Announcing the offer on his X page, Giulio posted a picture of him and his brother as kids in UNC colors at a UNC game. Paolo had a hilarious response to the post, hinting at his disapproval of the choice of photo while congratulating his kid brother.