Bill Belichick is set to become the next college football coach at the University of North Carolina. According to multiple reports, both sides are actively working to finalize a contract that will bring the six-time Super Bowl champion to Chapel Hill.
He needs a quarterback.
The Tar Heels finished the 2024 season at 6-6. Starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell completed only 58% of his passes for 2,452 yards and 15 touchdowns with six interceptions. His backup, Conner Harrell, completed 56.8% of his 37 pass attempts during limited playing time.
Criswell will be a sixth-year senior in 2025. Max Johnson can also return for a sixth season if he chooses to do so after a broken femur ended his season. It is unclear as to whether either guy is planning to run it back with UNC. However, Harrell entered the transfer portal and will seek a new opportunity.
I have decided to enter my name into the transfer portal with 2 years of eligibility left. Thank you Carolina family for everything!🙌🏾 pic.twitter.com/ep1SIkivwl
— conner harrell (@connerharrell2) December 3, 2024
Regardless of what happens with Johnson and Criswell, they are not long-term answers. Eligibility restrains exist and neither guy will be around much longer.
So where does that leave North Carolina?
Bill Belichick’s first order of business should be the acquisition of a signal-caller. Two options exist and they are not mutually exclusive.
Belichick could decide to boost his depth at the most important position in college football through the transfer portal. He could also go out and get a high-profile guy to start over (or at least compete with) Criswell and/or Johnson. Maybe that’s a guy like Devin Brown or Miller Moss. Perhaps it is a one-year rental like Kaidon Salter or Malik Murphy. Who knows.
The other option seems to be the most logical. Belichick can roll with the guys he already has in the system for 2025. From there, he could add another quarterback through traditional means of recruiting.
Four-star quarterback Bryce Baker committed to UNC way back in June of 2023. The in-state signal-caller has yet to formally sign with the program after it fired Mack Brown. LSU and Penn State are lingering in the background and waiting to pounce.
Now that Belichick is officially set to take over the Tar Heels, his first phone call should be to Baker. Get him to sign. Figure out the rest from there!