Bill Belichick, North Carolina Spark Concern With Transfer Portal Activity

Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels have certainly had an active transfer portal this winter, but has it been a successful one for the squad?

North Carolina has brought in 17 commits via the portal, but it has also lost 31 players, including quarterback Gio Lopez and some prominent defensive players.

The Tar Heels haven't landed a single four-star prospect throughout the process, so their incoming talent level is relatively tame.

On top of that, On 3 has ranked North Carolina 12th in the ACC in its transfer portal rankings, which is definitely worrisome based on the fact that UNC went just 4-8 this past season, going 2-6 within the conference.

So what exactly has gone wrong for Belichick and the Tar Heels this offseason?

Well, part of it is that North Carolina is still not there as a football program just yet, regardless of the fact that it now has a legendary NFL coach as its emblem.

And if we are being honest, Belichick's public image is not quite the same now as it was during his days with the New England Patriots, when he was busy winning six Super Bowl championships.

Not that Belichick's NFL success came entirely cleanly. Spygate was a thing. So was Deflategate. Nevertheless, Belichick won, and that is something he has yet to prove that he can do on the collegiate level (or without Tom Brady, but whatever).

I'll say what I have been repeating for a year now: Belichick absolutely deserves a grace period. The NCAA is an entirely different ballgame, so Belichick still needs to get comfortable.

For what it's worth, recruits have apparently been impressed by the level of professionalism Belichick and North Carolina's coaching staff have displayed in meetings and visits, so it's not like Belichick's reputation has been completely shattered.

But it's going to be a process for the 73-year-old at Chapel Hill.

The Tar Heels are not Alabama, Ohio State or Texas. They don't have that type of cachet, and even with Belichick leading the charge, they likely neve will.

That being said, UNC should be in a better place under Belichick than it was previously, so it will be interesting to see what type of progress is made in 2026.