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Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
North Carolina Football: 2025 Tar Heels Season Preview and Prediction
North Carolina Football: 2025 Tar Heels Season Preview and Prediction originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Tar Heels' 2025 roster is full of turnover and question marks, and early recruiting returns under new head coach Bill Belichick — who issued no jersey numbers in the spring, telling players they had to 'earn it' — have been underwhelming. Until UNC shows real on-field success, top prospects may continue to look elsewhere. Advertisement [Editor's note: This article is from Athlon Sports' 2025 College Football Preview print magazine. Order your copy today online, or pick one up at retail racks and newsstands nationwide.] More ACC team previews Boston College | California | Clemson | Duke | Florida State Georgia Tech | Louisville | Miami | NC State Pitt | SMU | Stanford | Syracuse | Virginia | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest North Carolina 2025 Season Preview and Prediction Previewing North Carolina's Offense for 2025 North Carolina's offense will feature a heavy reliance on unproven young talent and a patchwork of transfer additions, the most promising of whom is Gio Lopez. The former South Alabama quarterback threw for 2,559 yards and rushed for 465 more in 2024. At receiver, Jordan Shipp and Kobe Paysour headline the outside, while Aziah Johnson, a dynamic Michigan State transfer, mans the slot. Tight end Jake Johnson adds a big target in the middle of the field. Advertisement The offensive line has received a bit of a makeover, as the Tar Heels picked up Will O'Steen, William Boone, Jordan Hall, Daniel King and Christo Kelly in the transfer portal. The offense has potential on paper, but between inexperience, roster turnover and a lack of proven production, significant growing pains seem likely early in the season. North Carolina WR Kobe Paysour | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Previewing North Carolina's Defense for 2025 UNC's defense will lean heavily on newcomers, and Pryce Yates, in particular, provides a potential difference-maker up front. The UConn transfer has 12.5 career sacks and earned defensive MVP honors against the Tar Heels in last year's Fenway Bowl. He headlines a rebuilt front four that includes Smith Vilbert and CJ Mims. Sophomore D'antre Robinson, a Florida transfer, is expected to start on the interior line, with former Arizona Wildcat Isaiah Johnson providing depth. Advertisement The linebacker situation is murkier, though, after standouts Amare Campbell and Beau Atkinson entered the transfer portal. Khmori House, an incredibly athletic transfer from Washington, is likely to start, with transfer Mikai Gbayor and freshman Evan Bennett also in the mix. Meanwhile, the secondary brings back Marcus Allen, Kaleb Cost and Will Hardy but will rely on transfers like Thaddeus Dixon (Washington) and Gavin Gibson (East Carolina) to solidify the back end. Chemistry, leadership and physicality remain major concerns given all the turnover. North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick© Bob Donnan-Imagn Images Previewing North Carolina's Specialists for 2025 The special teams will be a mix of experience and uncertainty. Aussie Tom Maginness returns as punter and holder, providing some stability. Marshall transfer Rece Verhoff takes over placekicking duties after a strong finish to 2024, when he connected on 13 of his final 15 field goals and drilled a 49-yarder in overtime against James Madison. In the return game, Chris Culliver and Javarius Green provide explosive potential on kickoffs, while Hardy is a safe, albeit unspectacular, option on punt returns. Advertisement National Ranking: 52 More ACC team previews Boston College | California | Clemson | Duke | Florida State Georgia Tech | Louisville | Miami | NC State Pitt | SMU | Stanford | Syracuse | Virginia | Virginia Tech | Wake Forest Related: ACC Football 2025 Predictions Related: College Football Rankings: Projecting the Top 25 Teams for 2025 Related: Athlon Sports 2025 College Football Preview Magazine Available Now This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 3, 2025, where it first appeared.
Miami Herald
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
North Carolina Defense Preview 2025: The Belichicks Take Over the Tar Heel D
Okay, Belichicks. Go to Belichick is one of the game's all-time greatest defensive minds, and son Steve will handle the coordinator duties. The defense was amazing at generating pressure in the backfield, and wasn't bad on third downs, but suffered through a few massive inconsistent, it allowed 21 points or fewer six times, got hit for 70 against James Madison, 41 against Georgia Tech, and allowed 103 points over the final three games, closing out by getting run over by UConn. X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN2025 North Carolina PreviewNorth Carolina Offense Breakdown Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season - The pass rush lost main man Beau Atkinson to Ohio State, but the transfer portal is bringing in the parts. Pryce Yates (UConn) went from bothering the Tar Heels in the Fenway Bowl to likely being the steady star on the UNC edge. He's on one side, Smith Vilbert (Penn State) and Melkart Abou-Jaoude (Delaware) will be turned loose from the start.300-pound CJ Mims is a tough nose tackle from East Carolina, D'Antre Robinson is a strong signing from Florida, and it'll be a battle of young parts for the other tackle parts with Rodney Lora leaving for UCF. - The linebacking corps is going through an overhaul with Amare Campbell leaving for Penn State. The addition of Khmori House (Washington) and Mikai Gbayor (Nebraska) should make everything okay, and Evan Bennett is a 230-pound young option for the middle. - It's possible the secondary will be the most settled part of the defense. Safeties Will Hardy and Kaleb Cost combined for 97 tackles, and corner Marcus Allen tied Cost for the team lead with two picks with 36 stops. The portal helps with Thaddeus Dixon an elite corner get from Washington - 16 broken up passes over the last two years - to go along with East Carolina playmaker Gavin Gibson at safety. Season Prediction, Win Total, Keys to Season2025 North Carolina PreviewNorth Carolina Offense Breakdown © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
NBC Sports
12-06-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick's first college team
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina's new coach. 'It was just like, 'That's the greatest coach of all time,'' the receiver recalled, ''and he's about to be coaching us.'' Belichick's arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program. No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team. North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots. Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'' Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' Formative stages The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. 'We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us.' Enticing opportunity For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. Intimidating much? 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. 'But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great.' Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,' Dixon said. Behind the curtain Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in,' said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. 'And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,' Hardy said. 'It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.'
San Francisco Chronicle
11-06-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Tar Heels players embrace new world as part of coach Bill Belichick's first college team
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Jordan Shipp remembers the conversation with his roommates after learning Bill Belichick was North Carolina's new coach. 'It was just like, 'That's the greatest coach of all time,'" the receiver recalled, ''and he's about to be coaching us.'' Belichick's arrival has triggered plenty of change for the Tar Heels, who are making a big bet on the man who won six Super Bowls as an NFL head coach to spark their football program. No one knows that better than the players — both the holdovers and the transfer-portal arrivals — after months of Belichick overhauling the roster and building the foundation on his first college team. North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the New England Patriots. Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'" Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. "We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us." Enticing opportunity For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. Intimidating much? 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. "But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great." Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long," Dixon said. Behind the curtain Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100% locked in," said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. "And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him," Hardy said. "It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.' ___
Boston Globe
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Boston Globe
North Carolina players embrace new world with Bill Belichick as coach
North Carolina players hadn't spoken to reporters since last year's team ended its season with a Fenway Bowl loss to UConn three days after Christmas, all of which came after Belichick had been hired as coach for the 2025 season. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up So Tuesday marked the first time UNC had made players available to reporters since then to discuss Belichick's arrival. That has meant being coached by someone with a long track record of success at the sport's highest level, along with getting a peek behind the terse and grumpy persona he was known for with the Patriots. Advertisement Defensive back Will Hardy said the players are used to curiosity that comes with being coached by the NFL lifer now giving college a try. 'There's a lot of that, you get a lot of 'How is Coach Belichick? What's new? What's different?'' Hardy said. 'So I've rehearsed these questions a lot with family and friends.' Advertisement The school hired Belichick in December to elevate the program at a time when football's role as the revenue driver in college sports has never been bigger. He and general manager Michael Lombardi have described their goal as building a pro-style model at the college level. It's been a key pitch as the 73-year-old Belichick made his first foray onto the recruiting trail, as well as the volume of players transferring in and out of the program. Belichick's first on-field work in Chapel Hill came during spring workouts, lodged between portal windows in December and April. 'Look, these are great kids to work with, they really are,' Belichick said Tuesday. 'We've had great buy-in. There have really been no problems at all. These guys are on time, they're early, they work hard, they put in the work in the weight room, out on the field. They spend time on their own, whether it's doing extra training or coming over and watching film and that type of thing. 'They've made a ton of improvement and these guys are a lot better than they were when we started in January, on every level. So it's exciting to see where that's going to take us.' For the players, part of the adjustment had been the reality that their coach was winning Super Bowls with quarterback Tom Brady while they were growing up and watching on TV. 'I mean, maybe at first when you see him, all you see is the Super Bowls that he's won,' said offensive lineman Christo Kelly, a Holy Cross transfer and Belichick's first portal commitment. 'But when you get here and you see the way he cares, you see the way that he approaches the game, you see how hard he works, there's no question why he has the success that he has. Advertisement 'The attention to detail, the emphasis on fundamentals, and really just kind of creating competition for the guys, that's what's getting built here. Guys are embracing it. He treats everybody with tremendous respect and it's been great.' Defensive back Thad Dixon had met Belichick before when he was at Washington, playing under Belichick's son Steve — now the Tar Heels' defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. The two shared a few conversations then, and he jumped at the chance to head east. 'I really just wanted the opportunity just to learn from somebody like that, that had did it in the league for so long,' Dixon said. Yet not every surprise has been about X's and O's. Sometimes it's simply when Belichick has dropped the all-business facade to expose an unexpectedly humorous side. 'I feel like that's the biggest curveball, you're coming to the first meeting and you're expecting it to be serious, 100 percent locked in,' said Shipp, who played 12 games for UNC last season. 'He comes in and he introduces himself and then he busts a joke. That's the second thing he said.' Hardy pointed that vibe, too. 'There are times when he'll just crack a joke out of nowhere,' he said. 'And just him being kind of monotone sometimes will make those jokes so funny.' Still, Hardy noted it's mingled amid the work, such as film sessions when 'there's no hiding' when Belichick highlights a mistake. UNC opens the season on Labor Day against TCU in a college version of Monday Night Football. Advertisement 'I've loved having 1-on-1 conversations with him,' Hardy said. 'It's cool to see and meet him personally, because you grow up and see him on TV and everything. And he's just a completely different coach and guy when you get to be around him all day. It's cool.'
