Bill Belichick's college football experiment is reaching a critical moment
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
Over in the NFL, Bill Belichick is recognized as the coaching GOAT: creator of one of the sport’s great dynasties with the New England Patriots, winner of a record six Super Bowls and 333 games overall, the second-most in league history.
Things are a little bit different back in college football, where Belichick heads into his second year at North Carolina buried under a barrage of bad news, uncompetitive losses and the increasingly supported suspicion this might not work out as planned.
Despite his pedigree, few hires in recent Power Four history were greeted with as much eye-rolling befuddlement. In his debut, the 74-year-old Belichick limboed under that low bar with a four-win finish that included three victories against Bowl Subdivision opponents — Charlotte, Syracuse and Stanford — with a combined final record of 8-28.
After getting blown out at home by TCU in last year’s opener, the Week 0 rematch in Dublin, Ireland provides a chance for revenge against the Horned Frogs and an opportunity for Belichick to begin refurbishing his dented reputation.
But there are plenty of reasons to be skeptical Belichick’s second year will be much different than his first.
Lack of depth, proven talent spell trouble for UNC
For the second year in a row, Belichick and UNC looked to overhaul the roster by diving into the transfer market. This foray wasn’t quite as drastic. A year ago, the Tar Heels added 41 transfers, the third-most nationally; the 2026 roster includes 19 newcomers from the portal.
While the total number of additions was a big part of why the 2025 haul ranked ninth in the Bowl Subdivision, per 247Sports.com, that class also included seven four-star signees, more than all but five teams in the country.
The 19-member 2026 transfer class came in 51st nationally, with no four-star signings even as some the newcomers hailed from LSU, Texas, Clemson and Florida.
The end result is a roster that does not seem noticeably improved from a year ago, nor talented or deep enough to do any major damage in the ACC.
The offense lacks playmakers outside of wide receiver Jordan Shipp. The offensive line lacks experience and could fall to pieces if injuries impact the top line. Likewise on the defensive line.
An assessment of the roster places UNC closer to teams such as Boston College and Stanford near the bottom of the ACC and strides behind No. 7 Miami, No. 20 SMU and the leaders of the conference.
Who will start at quarterback for UNC?
A good case in point is where UNC went at quarterback. Belichick’s first starter was former South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez, who was ineffective from the jump and is now at Wake Forest. Backup Max Johnson is at Georgia Southern. Promising second-year passer Bryce Baker transferred to Virginia Tech.
To replace Lopez, the Tar Heels signed senior Billy Edwards Jr., who started at Maryland in 2024 but was limited by injuries to just two games at Wisconsin last season. His recent injury history and middling results as a Power Four starter don’t inspire confidence.
Should Edwards struggle or need to be replaced, UNC could turn to Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill, a sophomore with 20 career pass attempts. Another option is freshman Travis Burgess, the star of this year’s traditional signing class and the biggest recruiting win of the Belichick era.
Asked to detail a quarterback competition that ended with Edwards earning the starting nod against TCU, Belichick said on a recent coach’s show, "So, we had to go with somebody.” Talk about a lack of confidence.
Bobby Petrino could help Bill Belichick exceed expectations
Bobby Petrino’s hire as offensive coordinator is one reason the Tar Heels might surpass expectations on the offensive side of the ball, at least.
He spent the past two years in the same position at Arkansas, rising to interim coach last season after Sam Pittman’s dismissal. The Razorbacks ranked 19th nationally in total offense in 2025 and averaged 32.9 points per game, cracking the 30-point mark eight times. In 2024, Arkansas’ 5,973 yards of total offense ranked fourth in program history.
Petrino’s work with quarterbacks is his calling card. In addition to leading former Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson to the Heisman Trophy in 2016, Petrino tutored former Arkansas starters Ryan Mallett and Tyler Wilson, two of the most prolific passers in program history.
Still, the optimism around Petrino’s arrival is dinged by the absence of defensive coordinator Steve Belichick, who has been away from the team with an undisclosed medical condition since early in preseason camp.
Difficult schedule does UNC no favors
The only surefire win on the Tar Heels’ schedule comes in a paycheck game on Sept. 12 against East Tennessee State.
Of the 11 FBS opponents on the docket, just one, Syracuse, failed to reach bowl eligibility last season. All but one FBS opponent, Connecticut, comes from the Power Four.
The Tar Heels will play No. 4 Notre Dame, Syracuse, Miami, Louisville and NC State at home. The road or neutral-site dates are against TCU, Clemson, Pittsburgh, defending ACC champion Duke, UConn and Virginia.
There’s no question this schedule is more difficult than the 2025 slate that yielded just four wins. Overall, the Tar Heels’ opponents won 65.2% of their games last season, the highest winning percentage any teams in the FBS is set to face in 2026.
Be sure to check out USA TODAY Sports' new College Football Unfiltered podcast, hosted by USA TODAY Sports columnist Blake Toppmeyer. You can stream on YouTube or download via Apple podcasts and Spotify.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Bill Belichick's college football experiment is reaching a critical moment
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos