Three Core Strengths That Help UNC Overachieve in 2025 Under Belichick

North Carolina may be going through an uncertainty period going into fall camp, but they're reloading with proven talent, veteran leadership and pro-level coaching.

As the Tar Heels prepare for the 2025 season, three clear strengths have emerged: stability at quarterback, a retooled and experienced defense, and a coaching staff rich in NFL pedigree. Despite going through a transition period for the first time in five years, these areas give Carolina a real shot at outperforming expectations in the ACC, even if some people did not give them the Belichick bump.

From a veteran quarterback room to the coaches on the sideline, this team has vast experience and that was on purpose as Belichick and his staff wanted an experienced squad that is ready to go to work right away.

UNC does not need flash as substance is more important. That is clear given the players and coaches who’ve been through the fire that they brought in. Here are the three biggest strengths for North Carolina entering the 2025 season.

Experienced Quarterback Play

Even though North Carolina is in a transition period, it's a great thing to not have one but two quarterbacks who have played significant snaps under center with Gio Lopez and Max Johnson.

Lopez, who transfers in from South Alabama, completed 66% of his passes last season, throwing for 2,559 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. He also rushed for 463 yards and scored seven more times on the ground.

Johnson, who is coming off of a season-ending injury last season in the opening game against Minnesota last season, enters his sixth season of college football. He has thrown for nearly 6,000 yards with 47 touchdowns and 13 interceptions. Before he came to Chapel Hill, he was previously at LSU and Texas A&M.

Veteran Defense

If there’s one thing that has consistently held the Tar Heels back from contending for ACC titles, it’s been the defense. Since 2015, UNC’s defense has ranked 94th or worse in six of those 10 seasons. Even the 2015 and 2022 teams that reached the ACC Championship Game finished 95th and 115th nationally in total defense.

This year might be different due to the amount of experience and skill that Belichick and his staff bring. If you look at the players they brought in, most of them, if not all, are ready to play now.

Two players of note - defensive end Smith Vilbert (Penn State) and linebacker Andrew Simpson (Boise State) both played significant snaps in the College Football Playoff last season.

Sophomore linebacker Khmori House and redshirt senior cornerback Thaddeus Dixon, both former starters at Washington under current North Carolina defensive coordinator Stephen Belichick, helped lead the Huskies to the nation's second-ranked pass defense and the No. 28 overall defense last season.

Safety Gavin Gibson is a versatile defender who could start at either safety or nickelback. At East Carolina last season, he recorded 52 tackles, seven tackles for loss, three interceptions — one of which he returned for a touchdown — along with three pass breakups and a forced fumble.

In the secondary, Dixon, Gibson, Marcus Allen, and Will Hardy are all seniors who have layed significant snaps throughout their careers.

NFL Experience Runs Deep on the Staff

It helps when you have one of the best defensive strategists in the history of football as your head coach regardless of the level. Bill Belichick's expertise in defensive playcalling along with putting players in the best position possible to succeed will pay dividends down the road.

Offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens coached in the NFL for over 16 seasons, including one season as the head coach of the Cleveland Browns. After a two-year stint with the New York Giants, he served as an analyst at South Carolina in 2022 before joining UNC’s staff under Mack Brown in 2023.

Kitchens being retained as offensive coordinator is significant—not only does he lend legitimacy to Belichick’s “33rd NFL team” mantra, but he also has an in-depth understanding of the Tar Heels’ personnel. He knows the offensive players as well as anyone and understands how to maximize each of their strengths.

Stephen Belichick brings plenty of experience as a defensive play-caller. He handled those duties for the New England Patriots under his father from 2019 to 2024, with his units finishing in the top 10 in three of those five seasons. In 2019, his defense ranked No. 1 overall as the Patriots captured their sixth and final Lombardi Trophy under Bill Belichick.

After his father was let go by the Patriots following the 2023 season, Stephen Belichick proved himself as a standout defensive coordinator without his father looking over his shoulder. In just one season at Washington, he elevated the Huskies’ defense from No. 96 to No. 28 nationally in total defense and from No. 117 to No. 2 in passing yards allowed.

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