Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels keep losing players to the transfer portal.
The North Carolina Tar Heels have lost yet another player to the transfer portal, as defensive lineman Kamari Thomas has revealed his decision to bolt Chapel Hill this winter.
Bill Belichick will now be losing a grand total of 14 players to the transfer portal, which opens on Jan. 2.
Thomas is a former three-star recruit who was a member of Belichick's first signing class last year. However, he did not get into a single game with North Carolina in 2025.
The Brooklyn, N.Y. product was the 18th-ranked prospect in his state and the 196th-ranked defensive lineman in the 2025 recruiting class, via 247 Sports' composite rankings.
Thomas stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 280 pounds.
He is among numerous key Tar Heels defenders leaving the program, including top linebackers Khmori House and Tyler Thompson.
North Carolina boasts a top-20 recruiting class for next season, so perhaps Belichick is finally starting to establish himself at Chapel Hill.
But it's hard to ignore what a disaster it has been for Belichick thus far.
The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick's debut campaign, marking their first year without qualifying for a bowl game since 2018.
To make matters worse, UNC was routed in several of is losses, including a 42-19 beatdown at the hands of North Carolina State in the regular-season finale.
Because North Carolina plays in the relatively tame ACC, however, it should have a chance to rebound as soon as next season with the right offseason moves.
North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. Credit: Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images.The Tar Heels could comprise a rather intriguing transfer portal destination because of Belichick and new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, plus the fact that UNC's 2026 recruiting class could serve as a lure to prospective transfers.
Regardless, Belichick's inaugural season at North Carolina has been underwhelming, to say the least, and it seems pretty clear that many of the players would prefer to play their football elsewhere.
The Tar Heels also lost former four-star quarterback recruit Bryce Baker to the portal, which was probably their most crushing loss of all considering their uncertain situation under center.
We'll see if Belichick can bounce back with some wheeling and dealing of his own in the coming weeks.