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Bill Belichick has an uphill battle if he wants to rebuild the North Carolina football program, and it just got far more difficult before he even coaches a game.
The Tar Heels went just 6-7 in their final season under Mack Brown in 2024. Belichick is now tasked with picking up the pieces of a roster short on both depth and talent. While that process is aided by the transfer portal, it starts with high school recruiting, the lifeblood of any good college football program.
Belichick had little time to sure up the 2025 recruiting class after taking over in December. Which means the 2026 class is set to be the first full Tar Heels class under the legendary head coach.
The centerpiece of that class, thus far, is quarterback Travis Burgess. Burgess is a four-star prospect out of powerhouse Grayson High School in Georgia. He chose North Carolina over offers from Auburn, Arizona State, Wisconsin and plenty of others.
But now Burgess’ senior campaign is over before it could ever really begin.
North Carolina Commit Travis Burgess Out For Senior Season With Knee Injury
Burgess, who stands at 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, suffered a knee injury (feared to be a torn ACL) in Grayson’s 24-19 victory over Rabun Gap-Nacoochee last Friday.
I want to thank everyone for the thoughts, prayers, calls, and messages— it truly means the world to me. A special thanks to my family, my coaches, my teammates, the Grayson community, and the University of North Carolina coaches, players, and fans for their encouragement and… pic.twitter.com/xCJrMLRtfP
— Travis Burgess (@TravisBurgess_) August 28, 2025
He took to social media on Wednesday night and revealed that the injury will cost him the rest of his senior season.
“Playing under the Friday night lights at Grayson these past two years has been the experience of a lifetime. Unfortunately, due to the injury I suffered last Friday, I won’t be able to finish out the season with my brothers on the field,” Burgess wrote. “It has been a blessing to represent Grayson, play in front of such amazing fans, and be coached by some of the best.
“This is just the start of my journey. I look forward to recovery, and I’m excited for the next chapter at UNC. Thank you again for all the love and support!”
Hopefully for Burgess, Belichick, and the Tar Heels, this is just a minor setback before a successful college career. But it adds yet another layer of difficulty to an already uphill battle for Belichick at North Carolina.