Bill Belichick faces significant roster turnover as UNC rebuilds its lines. Can returning playmakers and portal additions spark improvement?
It's now year two of the Bill Belichick era at Chapel Hill and he will, once again, have his work cut out for him. The veteran ball coach will have a couple of key veteran pieces returning on the roster but the losses were also significant. Out of the nine starters between the offensive and defensive line, only one returns. All five starting offensive lineman departed while only one defensive lineman returns.
The Tarheels will be a portal driven team once again, but veteran leadership and production will also play a key role. Belichick will have a tough schedule as they face Clemson on the road, Notre Dame at home, Pitt on the road, Miami at home, Louisville at home and Virginia on the road. If the Tarheels are bowl eligible with this schedule, it will be deemed a massive step forward in the Belichick era.
Let's take a look at the Tarheels.
2025 Record: 4-8 / 2-6
2024 Record: 6-7 / 3-5 (Lost to UCONN in the Wasabi Fenway Bowl 27-14)
North Carolina Offense
Starters Returning - RB Demon June, WR Jordan Shipp
Starters Lost - QB Gio Lopez (Transfer - Wake Forest), WR Chris Culliver (Transfer - Marshall), WR Javarius Green (Transfer - Boston College), TE Jake Johnson (Transfer - Auburn), LT Austin Blaske, LG Will O'Steen, C Chad Lindberg, RG Daniel King, RT Jakai Moore
There's only two starters returning for new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino but they were extremely productive in 2025. June (84 att., 464 yards, 5.5 YPC, 2 TD) returns at running back after a productive true freshman season. Shipp (60 rec., 671 yards, 11.2 YPC, 6 TD) returns after being the Tarheels leading receiver in 2025.
Petrino is going to have his work cut out for him having to replace all five starting offensive lineman from 2025. The portal will play a major role, but if he can get the line to play at a decent level and get a body on a body, they'll be able to move the ball with some of the skilled talent they bring back and bring in through the portal.
North Carolina Defense
Starters Returning - DE Melkart Abou-Jaoude, CB Jaiden Patterson, NB Kaleb Cost
Starters Lost - DE Smith Vilbert, DT D'Antre Robinson (Transfer - Oregon), DT CJ Mims (Transfer - Texas A&M), LB Andrew Simpson, LB Khmori House (Transfer - Arkansas), CB Marcus Allen, S Will Hardy, S Gavin Gibson
Unfortunately, it's the same story on defense for coordinator Steve Belichick, the head coach's son. The return three starters on defense including Abou-Jaoude (47 tackles, 10.5 sacks,) at defensive end, Patterson (34 tackles, 5 passes defended, 1 INT) at cornerback and Cost (45 tackles, 5 passes defended, 1 INT) at nickel. The other eight starters on defense have either moved onto their professional careers or entered the portal.
Both of their interior defensive lineman hit the portal and are headed to Oregon and Texas A&M while Vilbert (22 tackles, 1.0 sack) has exhausted his eligibility. Both starting linebackers, Simpson (61 tackles, 5.0 sacks, 1 INT) and House (78 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1 INT) have left the program; Simpson is out of eligibility while House transferred to Arkansas. Belichick will also have to work with a partially rebuilt secondary to the portal after losing both starting safeties and Allen (35 tackles, 8 passes defended).
Portal Additions
Top Transfers - Offense: QB Billy Edwards Jr. (Wisconsin), WR Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin), WR Mason Humphrey (Lehigh), TE Jelani Thurman (Ohio State), TE Jordan Washington (Texas), RT Andrew Thrett (Charleston So.),
Top Transfers - Defense: DE Donovan Hoilette (Richmond), DE Jaylen Harvey (Penn State), LB Peyton Seelmann (Richmond), LB Derek McDonald (Syracuse), NB Ade Willie (Michigan State)
Due to the mass amounts of departures on both sides of the ball, the portal is going to play a major role in North Carolina's success in 2026. Bringing in Edwards (7-16, 43.8%, 113 yards, 103.1 Rating) from Wisconsin gives the quarterback room a veteran presence. He didn't do much at Wisconsin in 2025, but was productive for Maryland in 2024. The Tarheels also brought in Kekahuna (26 rec., 211 yards, 8.1 YPC) from Wisconsin as well along with a pair of talented tight ends from Ohio State and Texas.
Defensively, they brought in a pair of players from Richmond, Seelmann (120 tackles, 2.5 sacks, 2 INT) at linebacker and Hoilette (43 tackles, 6.5 sacks), who were extremely productive for the Spiders in 2025. They also added McDonald (6 tackles) from Syracuse. His season was cut short in 2025 but was a productive player for the Orange from 2022-2024 racking up 155 tackles and 3.5 sacks.
2026 Recruiting Class Ranking: No. 17 Rivals/On3 - No. 17 247Sports
2026 SCHEDULE
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