North Carolina’s place near the bottom of the ACC preseason media poll didn’t exactly land like a thunderclap on Tuesday. Miami was the expected pick to win the league, and the Tar Heels were slotted 15th in the 17-team conference, a ranking that fits the way last season went.
The real question now is whether UNC can outperform that projection in 2026. The preseason is supposed to be the stretch where hope runs wild, where every team starts at 0-0 and fans can talk themselves into a perfect run and a College Football Playoff push. But when it comes to the Tar Heels, 15th feels about right - and maybe even a little generous.
There’s at least some reason to think Bill Belichick and company could be better than they were in 2025, if only because they’ve had time to absorb what went wrong and adjust. But that’s the problem: it’s not clear they have.
UNC changed its roster-building approach after going heavy in the transfer portal ahead of 2025, then shifted gears and attacked high school recruiting hard in 2026. That may eventually pay off, but true freshmen usually need time before they’re ready to contribute, which means a lot of that talent might not show up on the field this season.
The schedule doesn’t do them many favors, either. Last year’s team finished below .500 even with what looked like a manageable slate.
This year is different. Miami and Notre Dame are the marquee games, and the rest of the schedule includes several teams expected to be at least pretty good.
So while there’s room for some improvement, it’s still hard to see UNC climbing much higher than 14th or 13th. Even before the recent Mike Lombardi suspensions, that was the outlook. Those suspensions could bring more distractions into the picture, which only makes the path tougher.
In Other News...
UNC Suddenly Has A New Frontcourt Race To Win
A recent federal ruling has quietly changed the recruiting landscape for college basketball, and North Carolina is already taking notice. A U.S. District Court judge granted an extra year of eligibility to athletes in the high school graduating class of 2022, opening the door for programs to recheck the market on experienced big men and creating a new wrinkle for the Tar Heels as they continue shaping their frontcourt.
One name to surface quickly is Cameron Fens, the seven-foot center from South Dakota State who was among the players granted that additional year. UNC has shown interest, and it is hardly alone, with a long list of programs also getting in touch as the transfer and eligibility picture starts to settle. For the Tar Heels, it adds another layer to a frontcourt race that already felt important, and now has a new contender in the mix. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Quarterback Battle Just Put Fresh Pressure On The Safer Options
Training camp has already pushed North Carolinas quarterback competition into one of the biggest talking points around the program, and the early conversation has a familiar shape: the safer, more experienced options are still the ones with the clearest path. Billy Edwards Jr. and Miles O'Neill bring the kind of experience coaches usually lean on in August, while the Tar Heels are also trying to sort out how quickly they want to trust a true freshman in Travis Burgess.
Still, Burgess has not sounded like a player the staff plans to ignore. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino has been open about the freshmans potential, and that kind of praise matters at a position where every practice rep gets magnified. Even with the veteran presence in the room, the fact that Burgess is already being mentioned as a legitimate contender says plenty about how unsettled this battle could remain as North Carolina works toward the opener. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have Found The Pass Catcher This Offense Desperately Needed
North Carolina spent much of 2025 searching for answers on offense, and the struggles were severe enough to cost Freddie Kitchens his job and send the Tar Heels in a new direction with Bobby Petrino running the attack. Since then, the staff has worked to reshape the passing game by adding receivers and tight ends through both the transfer portal and recruiting, all in an effort to give the offense more reliable options and a clearer identity.
Early in training camp, senior receiver Humphrey has emerged as the name worth watching. He already showed last season that he can be a productive target, finishing with 35 catches for 651 yards and four touchdowns, and now he looks like a player who could help stabilize a passing game that badly needs it. For UNC, finding one trusted pass catcher would be a major step toward making this offense more functional under its new coordinator. [Read more 🡒]