The Colorado Buffaloes are in a head-to-head fight for 2026 defensive line prospect Joseph Peko, and the competition isn’t with just anybody — it’s with Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels.
While Deion Sanders has won over five-stars and flipped top-tier talent since arriving in Boulder, keeping Peko in the Buffs orbit might require more than a flashy visit or strong NIL pitch. This time, it’s personal — and it could become a defining moment in Colorado’s recruiting identity.
Joseph Peko is the younger brother of Domata Peko Jr., who committed to Colorado in April, and the son of Buffs defensive line coach Domata Peko, the 15-year NFL veteran hired this offseason.
With one son already on board and dad on staff, it would seem like Boulder is the obvious fit.
But recruiting rarely follows a straight line — especially when a Hall of Fame-caliber coach like Belichick is involved.
North Carolina became the first program to host Joseph Peko on a visit, and it clearly made a strong impression. According to 247Sports, Chapel Hill currently leads in momentum, even as Peko eyes an official visit to CU.
Who Is Joseph Peko?
Peko is a rising junior at Oaks Christian in Westlake Village, California. He’s a high-upside, high-motor interior defensive lineman who’s started pulling national attention after strong junior tape and early camp buzz.
He currently ranks as a top-90 defensive lineman in the 2026 class and a top-70 prospect out of California.
Programs like Oregon, Michigan, and USC have all made contact, but it’s UNC and Colorado out front — with family pulling in one direction and the Belichick brand tugging in another.
And while Peko hasn’t locked in his final visits yet, the Buffs are expected to host him later this summer. That visit could be make-or-break.
Why would Peko choose UNC?
The obvious question is this: how does North Carolina, over 1,500 miles from Boulder and with no family ties, even have a shot?
Here’s the honest answer: NFL development and elite coaching.
Belichick’s presence holds weight. That’s attractive to a recruit like Peko, who grew up around the league and wants to make it there himself.
If Colorado is selling NFL culture, Belichick is the NFL. And it’s clear UNC is using that to their advantage.
Deion’s counterpunch
Still, let’s not pretend Deion Sanders is walking into this unarmed. The Buffs have leaned into family since Prime arrived.
Last season, Colorado had a Division I-record number of sibling duos on the roster, including Shedeur and Shilo Sanders, the Wester twins, the Wade brothers, and the Hood twins. The Buffs know how to build around family — and they’ve already started with the Pekos.
Domata Jr. is locked in and expected to join the team in December after finishing at Ventura College. If Joseph follows suit, Colorado could have a Peko-led defensive front for years to come.
It also helps that the Buffs are surging in the trenches. They led the Big 12 in sacks last season and reloaded with key transfers like Jeheim Oatis, Tavian Coleman, and Gavriel Lightfoot. That kind of defensive momentum is hard to ignore.
It’s a battle Prime can’t afford to lose
Losing Joseph Peko to UNC would be a huge recruiting loss.
This is the kind of recruit Colorado should win. He has the ties, the fit, the opportunity. But if Belichick swoops in and pulls him away, it becomes a headline. A reminder that Deion may be building something special — but he’s not immune to the chessboard that is elite recruiting.
Boulder vs. Chapel Hill. Prime vs. Belichick.
This could turn into a rivalry sooner rather than later.
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