Major college football program dealt blow from ACC foe on All-Conference 1,300-Yard RB

As the transfer portal window continues, two ACC programs were battling for the same star playmaker. Unfortunately for Bill Belichick, it looks like North Carolina ended up on the losing side of the competition.

Belichick was dealt a brutal blow by one of his former NFL assistants. Boston College's Bill O'Brien edged out Belichick in the battle for former Liberty star running back Evan Dickens. The star running back had a visit with North Carolina on Jan. 2, per 247Sports' Chris Hummer.

Liberty running back Evan Dickens has set the following visits, @thebizofathlete tells @chris_hummer, @mzenitz and @CodyNagel247.

North Carolina (Jan. 2)
Boston College (Jan. 4) https://t.co/55K6Q7Js0w
— 247Sports Transfer Portal (@247SportsPortal) January 2, 2026

Dickens committed to Boston College on Wednesday over North Carolina and other interested teams, per On3's Pete Nakos.

Here's the latest college football news amid all the transfer portal madness.

Boston College lands All-Conference RB Evan Dickens over North Carolina

Dickens brings a strong resume to Boston College ahead of 2026. The running back posted 229 carries for 1,339 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 11 appearances at Liberty in 2025. Dickens was not heavily involved in the passing game, adding five receptions for 61 yards and one TD through the air.

Liberty all-conference RB Evan Dickens has committed to Boston College, his rep @thebizofathlete tells @SWiltfong_ and I for @On3sports.

He rushed for 1,339 yards in 2025 with 16 touchdowns, averaging 5.8 yards per carry.https://t.co/wMrfFrcNOy pic.twitter.com/ibx27Tsfgd
— Pete Nakos (@PeteNakos) January 7, 2026

The move marks a return to the ACC for Dickens who spent his first two college football seasons at Georgia Tech. Dickens made a limited impact for the Yellow Jackets before his breakout campaign with Liberty in 2025.

Boston College lands the No. 4 ranked running back in the transfer portal, per On3. Dickens was named to Conference USA's All-Conference second team for his stellar play in 2025.

North Carolina HC Bill Belichick Dismisses NFL Rumors

Seven NFL teams have already fired their head coach, a number that could continue to grow in the coming weeks. This has sparked plenty of speculation that Belichick could seek a return to the NFL after his early struggles in his college football debut.

Despite going 4-8 last season, Belichick has emphasized his desire to remain at North Carolina. It will be worth watching to see if Belichick's tune changes if an NFL team makes a strong pursuit of the legendary coach.

“Nothing's changed," Belichick said on the "Let's Go!" podcast, per Yahoo Sports. "I’m where I was a month ago. I'm here at North Carolina.

"I really appreciate the love and support that we've gotten from the community down here, from the school, from Chancellor Roberts, the ADs, Bubba Cunningham, Steve Newmark, working with Mike Lombardi and our staff here. We're building a good program and I'm excited about the direction we're headed in.”

The future appears to be getting brighter in Chapel Hill. North Carolina secured the No. 17 ranked recruiting class for 2026, per 247Sports.