North Carolina spent last season fighting uphill in the trenches, and Bill Belichick made it clear after the Tar Heels’ first practice on Thursday that he sees real movement on that front.
Belichick singled out the offensive line when he met with the media as training camp opened, and that unit has become one of the biggest points of emphasis for UNC this offseason. In 2025, the Tar Heels pieced together a makeshift front because injuries and poor play forced the staff to keep shuffling combinations. None of it took hold, and the offense never found much rhythm.
This year looks different on paper. North Carolina attacked the issue through the transfer portal and brought in Charleston Southern transfer Andrew Threatt and Arkansas transfer Shaq McRoy, two additions expected to anchor the line. They join Aidan Banfield, Jordan Hall, and Christo Kelly, all of whom already have experience in this system.
That kind of stability matters even more because the quarterback room has been completely overhauled, and there isn’t a clear Week 1 starter locked in yet. If UNC is going to avoid the same problems that plagued it a year ago, the line has to be dependable in pass protection and functional in the run game.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino said last week that he wants the ground attack to be a driving force, and that puts even more weight on the men up front. For that to happen, the line has to create consistent running lanes and give the offense a chance to build something real.
The bottom line is simple: if North Carolina wants a different story this season, it has to start with better play on the offensive line.
In Other News...
UNCs Frontcourt Search May Be Down To One Cleanest Option
North Carolinas search for frontcourt help has narrowed into a tricky late-spring puzzle, with the Tar Heels still looking for a clean way to add size to the roster. Micah Handlogten, the Florida center who entered the transfer portal in April, has been linked to UNC as a potential fit, and the mention alone underlines how much work remains as the Tar Heels try to shore up their interior depth.
Cameron Fens has also surfaced in connection with North Carolina, but his path is far less straightforward because he has not entered the portal and would need a separate legal route to make a move. Meanwhile, former UNC guard Seth Trimble is in the portal too, though he is pursuing NBA opportunities, leaving the Tar Heels to sort through a frontcourt picture that still feels very much unresolved. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Finally Have What Last Years Team Never Did
North Carolina is only in the early stages of training camp for the 2026 season, but the program has already spent the offseason trying to reshape its identity. The Tar Heels brought in multiple transfer-portal additions and made changes around the staff, all part of an effort to give this group a different look than the one that came before it.
The biggest shift is on offense, where the Heels have moved on from Freddie Kitchens and turned the playbook over to Bobby Petrino. There is also a quieter layer of uncertainty around the program after general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on paid administrative leave, leaving UNC to sort through a fresh set of questions even as camp begins. [Read more 🡒]
Bobby Petrino Just Signaled UNCs New Offensive Identity
Bobby Petrinos arrival as North Carolinas offensive coordinator for the 2026 season is already pointing the Tar Heels toward a clearer identity on that side of the ball. With the quarterback situation still unsettled, Petrino has stressed the importance of building around the ground game, and that lines up neatly with what UNC already has in place. The Tar Heels are bringing back their top two rushers from last season, along with all five running backs, giving the staff a deep and familiar backfield to lean on.
For a team trying to stabilize its offense, that kind of continuity matters. UNC also expects an improved offensive line, which could help turn a promising rushing foundation into a real strength rather than just a fallback plan. Petrinos challenge now is figuring out how to blend that run-first approach with the rest of the offense as the Heels move closer to opening week. [Read more 🡒]