Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels won’t take the field until they face TCU on September 1st. But the legendary coach’s early work in the transfer portal suggests his NFL experience might translate perfectly to college football’s new reality.
The Tar Heels completely rebuilt their roster after Mack Brown’s departure. That level of turnover would typically spell disaster for most programs.
But Belichick sees it differently.
“It’s an area that (general manager Michael Lombardi) and I are very familiar with,” Belichick said during a recent press conference, according to Chandler Vessels of On3. “We’ve spent a lot of time in that free agency space over the course of our careers in the NFL.”
The main difference? Volume.
“The college portal is in the thousands,” Belichick noted.
The Sales Pitch
North Carolina’s recruiting message centers on Belichick’s track record of developing NFL talent. The coach isn’t shy about what he’s selling to prospects.
“What we’re selling is to be a pro. To be a pro on the field, to be a pro off the field in terms of life learning and, of course the academics here are outstanding.”
Belichick promised recruits they’ll get NFL-level preparation. That includes training, scheme work, fundamentals, film study, and situational football.
“That’s what we do and that’s what we’re selling,” he said. “Most kids are interested in that. They really are. So we’ve had great buy in.”
Portal Success
The numbers back up Belichick’s confidence. 42 players have committed to North Carolina since his hiring.
That represents one of the largest transfer portal hauls in college football.
More importantly, it’s high-quality talent. On3 ranks North Carolina’s transfer class 8th nationally and second in the ACC behind only Miami.
The Tar Heels won’t know if this approach works until they take the field. But Belichick’s early recruiting success suggests his NFL expertise might be exactly what college football’s new landscape demands.
