Where UNC Football Stands Amongst Power Conference Schools

The Tar Heels are looking to bounce back from a pitiful 2025 season.

Jan 19, 2026; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; TV analyst Bill Belichick watches the Miami Hurricanes play the Indiana Hoosiers during the first half of the College Football Playoff National Championship game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Perhaps no other team in all of college football will have as many eyeballs on it as the North Carolina Tar Heels.

Last season, they made the surprise hire of Bill Belichick as their next head coach — yes, the six-time Super Bowl Champion. As surprising as the move was, bringing him in naturally came with high expectations for a program in need of a boost. 

Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick addresses the media after the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

UNC in 2025

Unfortunately for UNC, its first season under Belichick’s watch was a disaster. The team posted a 4-8 record and struggled on both sides of the ball, ranking among the worst overall teams in the ACC. Given Belichick’s track record of success, the lack thereof in his first season in Chapel Hill came as quite a shock. 

Additionally, much of the attention throughout the season was less about the play on the field, but more so on all of the other distractions surrounding Belichick’s presence, such as his off-the-field relationships and his snubbing from the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

Nov 22, 2025; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick watches play during the first half at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Now in year two, the Tar Heels will have a ton of pressure on them to get back on the winning path sooner rather than later. ESPN’s Adam Rittenberg isn’t sold on UNC getting any better anytime soon, ranking them as the 51st-best Power Conference team heading into the 2026-27 season. 

Rittenberg’s Thoughts

“The roster continues to be a bit of a roller coaster under Belichick and general manager Michael Lombardi. UNC has made clear gains in recruiting -- the team signed the nation's No. 14 class, including 10 SC Next 300 players and several key wide receivers and defensive tackles -- and added transfers such as [Billy] Edwards, wide receiver Trech Kekahuna (Wisconsin) and tight end Jordan Washington (Texas). UNC signed 12 blue-chip recruits in 2026, according to ESPN Recruiting."

"But North Carolina also took some portal hits on defense, losing leading tackler Khmori House (Arkansas, pass rusher Tyler Thompson (Louisville) and others. The roster could end up being better in 2027 than 2026, but will Belichick and Petrino still be there to coach?,” Rittenberg said. 

Oct 18, 2025; Madison, Wisconsin, USA; Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) warms up before the game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Camp Randall Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

This ranking feels appropriate for the Tar Heels, considering the amount of turmoil surrounding the program and the fact that much of this year’s roster is full of question marks. Nonetheless, the Tar Heels will need to avoid a slow start to the season, or the talks of Belichick being canned will ramp up once again, and cause more distractions for a team that could go with fewer of them moving forward.