ACC media members aren’t buying a quick turnaround for Bill Belichick and North Carolina.
In the conference’s preseason media poll released Tuesday, July 28, the Tar Heels were slotted 15th out of 17 teams, putting UNC near the bottom of the league after a rough first season under Belichick. The poll included 185 media members, and it paints a bleak picture for a program that was picked eighth a year ago before finishing 4-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play.
Miami landed at the top of the poll by a wide margin, collecting 165 first-place votes. The Hurricanes, who reached the College Football Playoff championship game last season, have never won an ACC title since joining the league in 2004.
They’ll visit Kenan Stadium to face UNC on Oct. 31.
The rest of the first-place votes were spread around the league: Clemson got seven, SMU six, Louisville four, Florida State three, Georgia Tech two and Stanford one.
The poll also gave a clear snapshot of where several other ACC programs stand heading into the season. Duke, the defending conference champion, was picked 10th.
N.C. State was the highest-ranked Triangle team at No.
- Wake Forest, coming off a nine-win season, was projected to finish 13th.
Belichick’s roster has been in constant motion. UNC brought in 70 newcomers for the 2025 season, and the coach added 60 more players before 2026, including 40 freshmen. Even with that level of turnover, Belichick believes the Tar Heels are further along now than they were at this point last year.
Among the familiar names back in the mix are wide receiver Jordan Shipp and reigning ACC sacks leader Melkart Abou Jaoude.
Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion in the NFL, is set to open his second college preseason camp on Thursday, July 30. UNC’s season begins against TCU on Aug. 29 in Ireland, with kickoff set for noon on ESPN.
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National QB Ranking Just Put North Carolinas Biggest Fear In Focus
North Carolinas quarterback room already had plenty of intrigue heading toward 2026, and the latest national ranking only sharpened the conversation. Sports Illustrateds Zach Koons slotted first-year transfer Billy Edwards Jr. near the bottom of the Power Four quarterback list, a reminder that the Tar Heels are still trying to sort out what they have at the most important position on the field after bringing in a player with only limited starting experience from Maryland.
The competition around Edwards Jr. remains open, with Miles ONeill, AuTori Newkirk and freshman Travis Burgess all in the mix as the staff works toward a decision. For a program looking to stabilize its offense, the uncertainty is the point, and the ranking puts a spotlight on just how much North Carolina still has to answer before the season gets here. [Read more 🡒]
One Roster Flaw Has Early Doubts Growing Around Michael Malone's UNC
Michael Malones first months in Chapel Hill have already put the Tar Heels under a sharper kind of scrutiny, and it starts with the roster around him. After replacing Hubert Davis, Malone inherits a team that still has to prove it can stand up to the kind of frontcourt size and physicality that decides games in March, and CBS Sports analyst Isaac Trotter has been among those flagging the depth issue as the biggest early concern.
The uncertainty is bigger than one lineup wrinkle, too. UNC is heading toward the 2026-2027 season without much preseason title buzz, and the questions around Malones fit only add to the pressure on a program that expected a cleaner reset. Trotter also raised the broader issue of whether Malone is the long-term answer in Chapel Hill or simply the next stop on a search that already passed on other top names. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malone May Already Be Changing UNCs Recruiting Ceiling
Michael Malone has barely settled into his new job, but North Carolina is already showing signs that its recruiting pitch may be getting sharper. The Tar Heels have been active with the 2027 class, and that has put them in the mix for a group of elite prospects that can change the ceiling of a cycle before it really starts. Beckham Black has lined up an official visit, CJ Rosser has already made his way to Chapel Hill, and the early traffic around the program suggests the staff is not just making courtesy calls.
Henry is part of that same conversation, giving North Carolina another highly ranked name to track as the class develops. No commitments are in place yet, and there is still a long way to go before any of these pursuits turn into actual wins, but the fact that the Tar Heels are drawing this level of attention this early is the kind of signal programs hope for under a new coach. If Malone can keep stacking visits and staying in the hunt, North Carolina may be setting itself up for a recruiting run that looks a lot bigger than a typical first impression. [Read more 🡒]