North Carolina Closer to ACC Title Contention Than Some Realize

Any given year, any given Saturday. College football is unpredictable in its own beautiful way, which makes it chaotic and unique among all sports, especially when it comes to rivalries, traditions, unwritten rules, environment, and atmosphere at any game; it's just different.

Chaos is a perfect way to describe the 2025 North Carolina Tar Heels under first-year head coach Bill Belichick. The future first-ballot Hall of Fame NFL coach had a disastrous first season, showcasing a lack of fundamentals and chemistry on both sides of the ball. It was very un-Belichick of a program he ran, but that was the story of Chapel Hill football: empty promises and uninspired play at times.

Belichick UNC — Sep 13, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sidelines in the second quarter at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

However, it's easy to forget that the Tar Heels were a stop or two away from winning six games and making a bowl game under Belichick last season. What does the narrative look like if that were the case? We will never know, but one thing is for sure: North Carolina could become a sleeping giant no one will see coming.

North Carolina Possesses High Upside on Both Sides of the Ball

Melkart UNC — Oct 31, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Syracuse Orange quarterback Joseph Filardi (13) loses a fumble on a tackle by North Carolina Tar Heels defensive lineman Melkart Abou Jaoude (9) in the fourth quarter at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Mark Konezny-Imagn Images | Mark Konezny-Imagn Images

Does this sound crazy? Yes, though Belichick did well to keep key veterans around, such as Melkart Abou-Jaoude, Jordan Shipp, Kaleb Cost, Demon June, and Leroy Jackson. It is another roster filled with roughly four dozen new players, ranging from freshman and transfer portal acquisitions, but it is the additions from the portal and a true freshman who make this roster intriguing.

The tight end and edge rusher groups have new players from the portal, and most of them acquire a high-ceiling to be great at their respective positions. Former Big Ten players Jelani Thurman and Jaylen Harvey stand out to me the most, and both have the potential to be highly productive on their respective sides of the ball.

UNC football coach Bill Belichick during a press conference ahead of the Tar Heels' first spring practice on Tuesday, March 24, 2026. | Rodd Baxley/The Fayetteville Observer / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

There is also the intrigue with a physical run game behind June and Benjamin Hall, a talented secondary featuring Cost and Jaiden Patterson, and a true freshman quarterback in Travis Burgess, who might just be one of the most purely talented players in the program as Belichick's blue-chip recruit from this season.

Why North Carolina Could Shock the ACC in 2026

It comes down to their two close defeats last year and the improvements they've made on both sides of the ball, including their coaching staff. Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi made a conscious effort to make their team better by adding players and former top recruits who haven't had the opportunity to shine.

The schedule does favor them in some aspects, though they face a pair of National Championship contenders in Miami and Notre Dame. I know this all sounds like a long shot, but anything is possible in this sport. Belichick has a chance to rewrite the narrative that 2025 was just a rebuilding year and that 2026 becomes 2001-esque, where a young quarterback takes over at the start or during the season to lead the program to greatness.

I'm not saying Burgess is Tom Brady, nor will a National Championship come to Chapel Hill from their football program this upcoming season. All I'm saying is ACC championship contention is not out of the question to the point where it could become the best-case scenario for the Tar Heels this season.

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