St. Anthony’s High School (N.Y.) standout Gary Merrill, a five-star midfielder, has long been committed to playing lacrosse in Chapel Hill. Now, the 6-foot-1, 180-pounder is officially on board to also suit up for Bill Belichick and the Tar Heels as a UNC football quarterback, Prep Lacrosse’s Ty Xanders first reported on Wednesday night.

ALSO READ: Brother of Recent UNC Transfer Addition Reveals Offer From Tar Heels

As a senior, Merrill became the Gatorade New York Football Player of the Year after completing 124 of his 180 passes (68.9 percent) for 1,762 yards and 19 scores while throwing only four interceptions. Plus, the dual-threat signal-caller racked up another 1,955 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground, altogether leading the St. Anthony’s Friars to a 9-4 overall record and the state championship game.

“I’ll do anything to win,” Gary Merrill recently explained to Newsday. “I run a lot, and I try to use the QB run game to allow me to succeed.”

He becomes the 20th UNC football recruiting pledge in the 2025 cycle.

The Tar Heels’ collection, stacking up at No. 60 in the country in the eyes of 247Sports, includes two more decorated quarterbacks in Maury High School (Va.) three-star Au’Tori Newkirk, who announced his commitment to Belichick & Co. last week, and East Forsyth High School (N.C.) four-star Bryce Baker, an early signee.

ALSO READ: UNC Head Coach Conducts In-Home Visit With Top-Ranked 2026 QB

Stay tuned to North Carolina Tar Heels On SI for more UNC football recruiting news.