What will Bill Belichick’s first order of business be at UNC? Roster management, probably

Bill Belichick’s first day on the job at North Carolina could be spent recruiting — the UNC players.

Belichick, announced Wednesday as the Tar Heels’ new head football coach, has a lot of work in front of him in hiring a staff and making the transition in Chapel Hill, but will first meet with his new team to express his vision of the program and how the players will fit into it.

Can he convince running back Omarion Hampton to stay another season? Belichick said this week he would make a college football program a pipeline to the NFL and help prepare players in every way to get there if they’re good enough.

Hampton is good enough, most NFL scouts agree. He was the ACC’s leading rusher as a junior in 2024 with 1,660 yards and could make the decision to turn professional and enter the 2025 NFL draft. Belichick may even encourage him to do it.

Hampton has not yet announced his intentions, although it seems unlikely he will play for UNC in the Fenway Bowl against Connecticut on Dec. 28 in Boston, risking an injury.

When Mack Brown’s abrupt firing as UNC head coach was announced on Nov. 26, it immediately opened the door for UNC players to enter the NCAA transfer portal. As many as a dozen have made that choice, including linebacker Amare Campbell and three offensive line starters.

Starting center Austin Blaske entered his name in the portal, then announced on Wednesday — before the news on Belichick was official — that he was taking his name out and remaining at UNC for his final year of eligibility.

Blaske previously was at Georgia, and won a national championship with the Bulldogs, before transferring to UNC last year. He had 11 starts, missing one game to injury, and was in for more. than 700 snaps

Campbell, in his first season as a starter, was consistently solid as a sophomore and should be the kind of player Belichick and his new defensive staff looks to retain. Rangy and quick reacting, he was third in tackles with 72 and had 10.5 tackles for losses, with 6.5 sacks.

Campbell was selected by defensive coordinator Geoff Collins to wear the “green dot” on his helmet during games as the player who would communicate with the coaches and relay the defensive signals.

The quarterback position figures to be closely and immediately scrutinized — Belichick, as much as any coach at any level, recognizes the importance of having the right trigger man for his offense. He has six Super Bowl rings because of it.

Quarterback Jacolby Criswell gave the Tar Heels an unexpected spark this past season. Starting his college football career at UNC, he was beaten out by Drake Maye at quarterback and transferred to Arkansas. He returned to UNC and Chapel Hill last year, but missed spring practice and was told by Brown he did not figure into the Heels’ plans in 2024.

That changed. Quarterback Max Johnson, another transfer, won the starting job but suffered a broken leg in the opener at Minnesota and was lost for the season. Backup Conner Harrell played but was ineffective and has since entered the portal.

Brown gave Criswell the chance to start and play, and Criswell, to his credit, quickly caught up and played capably enough — 2,452 yards passing and 15 TD’s – to get the Heels to six wins and bowl eligibility.

The Belichick staff could turn to the portal to find another quarterback to run their system. The Tar Heels also appear to be in position to bring in four-star recruit Bryce Baker, who was firmly committed to UNC but waffled at the early national signing date after Brown’s dismissal and put off his decision.

Baker, who played at East Forsyth High, has made visits to Penn State and LSU. But Belichick is Belichick, and that could be enough to convince Baker.

It’s hard to say for now what Belichick’s direction will be with his new roster. He could go all scorched-earth like Deion Sanders at Colorado two years ago, when 50 players entered the portal and “Prime” went with a nearly complete makeover.

But some fast evaluations will need to be made. Belichick could closely consult with Freddie Kitchens, who has served as interim head coach since Brown’s firing, on those evaluations, leaning on Kitchens’ experience at the college level and in the NFL.

Either way, it’s a new day in Chapel Hill as a 72-year-old coach with no college experience replaces a 73-year-old who was the winningest active college coach.

Belichick’s first college game will be against Texas Christian at Kenan Stadium on Aug. 30. It could be a hot day, but there could be a hoodie sighting on the sideline.

This story was originally published December 12, 2024 at 5:00 AM with the headline "What will Bill Belichick’s first order of business be at UNC? Roster management, probably."

Chip Alexander

The News & Observer

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In more than 40 years at The N&O, Chip Alexander has covered the N.C. State, UNC, Duke and East Carolina beats, and now is in his 15th season on the Carolina Hurricanes beat. Alexander, who has won numerous writing awards at the state and national level, covered the Hurricanes’ move to North Carolina in 1997 and was a part of The N&O’s coverage of the Canes’ 2006 Stanley Cup run.