Bill Belichick's biggest transfer portal whiff may haunt UNC in Year 1

Everyone wants to know just how Bill Belichick will work out as a college football head coach. The 73-year-old unquestionably brings decades worth of knowledge and expertise about the game itself — though only at the NFL level.

No one of Belichick’s stature has made the kind of transition he’s currently in the middle of at North Carolina. Sure, other former NFL head coaches have made the lateral move to college, but none have had the success that the former Patriots coach did.

In total, Belichick has eight Super Bowl rings to boast about to his young Tar Heels roster. That roster will no doubt be a difference-maker in the kind of success he has in Year 1.

CBS Sports’ David Cobb recently graded first-year college football head coaches’ rosters, and surprisingly, Belichick’s Tar Heels came out on top with a B+.

“The biggest difference between North Carolina’s roster and the rosters of other Power Four programs with new coaches appears to be on the offensive line,” Cobb wrote. “Relative to their fellow upstarts, the Tar Heels have an embarrassment of riches with three returning starters, some former G5/FCS all-conference performers and Power Four transfers with game experience.”

Belichick and his staff completely overhauled the roster, bringing in 41 transfers — ranking ninth in the country, according to 247Sports. One of the most notable additions is quarterback Gio Lopez.

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“The starting quarterback will be a proven G5 producer in Gio Lopez from South Alabama or the veteran Max Johnson, who is back after missing nearly all of last season due to injury,” Cobb added. “The skill talent is underwhelming, and the defense looks average, though it has at least some upside. Will Hardy, Marcus Allen and Kaleb Cost are back after playing key roles in the secondary last season. The front seven — a potential swing group in determining the ceiling — is a transfer-heavy group that could be led by menacing former UConn edge rusher Pryce Yates. UNC would have claimed an ‘A’ grade had it landed a top prize at quarterback. As it stands, the Tar Heels’ roster is still in better shape than others with first-year coaches.”

This newly formed roster could also benefit from a semi-manageable schedule — though matchups against national championship favorite Clemson will be no easy feat.

The ultimate question regarding North Carolina’s success in 2025 is just how serious Belichick is taking all of this, considering the offseason drama involving girlfriend Jordon Hudson. But also, the UNC coach apparently may have missed a very important recruiting weekend recently.

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“Is he really all that dedicated to his job?” The Athletic’s Stewart Mandel asked. “We know he spent a weekend in mid-May at the Miss Maine pageant. And my colleague Brendan Marks inadvertently and hilariously stumbled into him during a New England golfing weekend shortly after that. Nothing wrong with a little R&R, I suppose, except that May weekends are often when recruits take official visits. Most coaches in America were likely hosting at least a few.”

Everything Belichick does from this point forward will be heavily analyzed. That scrutiny is only just beginning in the offseason. Once the Tar Heels begin the season on Labor Day night against TCU, it will most likely only increase.