North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick is once again in the crosshairs.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick can't seem to keep himself out of the spotlight over the last couple of years, and most of the time, the press surrounding him is negative.
Whether it's his much-publicized relationship with Jordon Hudson, his nasty exit from the New England Patriots or his brutal debut campaign at Chapel Hill, Belichick can't seem to escape criticism these days.
And now, with the 2026 college football season still months away, Belichick is once again under fire.
Why? Because North Carolina did not have a single player selected in the NFL Draft, representing the first time that has happened in a decade.
Yes, the Tar Heels did have some players signed as undrafted free agents, such as cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, who probably would have been a Day 3 pick had it not been for an injury that limited him to just seven games in 2025.
But nevertheless, no UNC players heard their names called during the draft, and Belichick is being questioned for it.
North Carolina Tar Heels coach Bill Belichick. Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images.After all, it was Belichick who scoured the transfer portal to build the roster for his first season, and he was coaching these guys all year.
That being said, it's a little disingenuous to pretend that Belichick actually had a large window of opportunity to put the 2025 roster together.
Belichick took the job in December 2024 and had to rush to ensure that he was able to fill out the roster. And to be fair, he did add some impressive talents, such as edge rusher Melkart Abou-Jaoude, who is a major sleeper heading into next season.
Sure, it's a bit wild that not a single North Carolina player was drafted by an NFL team, and if you want to say that reflects poorly on Belichick, go right ahead. But I also feel like people are just piling on the 74-year-old for the heck of it.
Now, if the 2027 NFL Draft passes and the Tar Heels are once again absent from the festivities, then people would have a firmer argument, but at this point, we probably need to give Belichick just a bit more time.
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