Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
The North Carolina football team is reeling following a blowout loss at the hands of ACC rival Clemson. Bill Belichick’s approach to roster management is now under the spotlight.
Angry parents of Tar Heel players claim the head coach is playing favorites with the recruits he personally secured. A recent report also suggests the staff’s refusal to honor a star quarterback’s NIL commitment created a self-inflicted wound.
Most knew Belichick’s first year in Chapel Hill would be difficult. The program was forced to rebuild after the firing of Mack Brown.
With that said, no one expected it to be this bad.
UNC is 0-3 against Power 4 competition, having been outscored 120-33. The offense is pedestrian. The defense has been non-existent. It’s culminated in a major letdown following months of offseason hype.
The Tar Heels brought in 70 new players via the transfer portal and its high school recruiting class. Those that stayed on to play for the Super Bowl winning head coach don’t believe they’ve been given a fair shake.
Bill Belichick is playing favorites.
Parents of current players are now speaking out. Sources around the program cite preferential treatment for Belichick-recruited stars.
“It’s all starting at the top,” said one unnamed parent on what’s become a “toxic” locker room. “The boys are being affected. “I don’t fault the players. I fault the leadership… There’s an individualistic mindset.”
Pat Welter of WRAL News further explained what’s being said in Chapel Hill.
It’s common in college football for players who transfer to get paid more than players who stay, but according to multiple sources, Belichick and his staff haven’t done enough to unite the players. There are multiple examples of preferential treatment for transfers that have added to the discord in the team.
According to several sources, some Belichick-recruited transfers have preferential parking for themselves and their parents, as well as more tickets for games. Khmori House and Thaddeus Dixon played for Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick, at the University of Washington. Their names come up repeatedly when talking to sources about preferential treatment. Dixon’s family has field access on game days, something that no other family is believed to have.
According to sources, there’s a board in the UNC football facility that lists people who have missed workouts and class. Some Belichick-recruited players repeatedly show up on the list but have not had their playing time affected.
Accountability is not being taken. Punishment of star newcomers has not been seen. Players not recruited by Bill Belichick and his staff are supposedly being treated unfairly.
This is something that Deion Sanders dealt with upon arriving at Colorado. He wasted no time in forcing old players out to bring in new blood. Criticism quickly followed.
But North Carolina holdovers are not the only ones being impacted, Welter says. One transfer quarterback learned very quickly of the cutthroat approach after signing on to play as a transfer.
North Carolina football refused to pay Ryan Browne.
The Tar Heels were thin at quarterback entering Belichick’s tenure. Four-star freshman Bryce Baker was expected to be the passer of the future, but questions about his readiness loomed.
Max Johnson stayed on following a career-threatening injury in 2024. To bolster the position room, the Tar Heels hit the portal.
Initially, Ryan Browne was targeted as an incoming transfer. He committed and joined the roster in the offseason. After spring practice, he was reportedly forced out.
[North Carolina] landed Ryan Browne in the transfer portal from Purdue. According to sources, Browne was asked to leave after spring practice. Lombardi tried to rescind Browne’s NIL money. According to sources, Browne got a lawyer involved and reached a settlement.
Welter suggests that Browne was not only asked to leave, but that the program attempted to walk back their NIL promise to the passer. Eventually, a settlement was reached after the signal caller got a lawyer involved.
North Carolina later added Gio Lopez out of South Alabama. He’s battled injury while completing 62.7% of his throws with as many touchdowns as interceptions.
Browne, meanwhile, currently ranks fourth in the Big Ten in passing after returning to Purdue. He seems to be the winner in the North Carolina football drama.
At the moment, the Tar Heels appear in complete disarray. There is a lack of unity, and a clear divide in the locker room. Through five games, Bill Belichick has done little to ease the tension according to this most recent report.
He will look to right the ship over the remainder of the season before turning his attention to the offseason.