North Carolina is at least exploring a bold, messy path into the new college football reality, and Bill Belichick is not backing away from it.
With the Tar Heels set to head to Dublin, Ireland, for their Week 0 matchup with TCU on Saturday, Belichick said Friday that UNC has looked into bringing in multiple former NFL players for this season. The idea comes as a Louisiana judge granted a temporary restraining order for 16 athletes from the class of 2022 to return to college football this fall, including several who signed contracts with league teams. Some of those players have already taken preseason snaps this month.
“We've looked at a number of them,” Belichick said, via 247Sports. “Each case is a little bit different.
If it works, it works. If it doesn't, it doesn't.
I don't think there's anything we're counting on, but we're always open to anything that will help the team.”
For Belichick, who is coming off a 4-8 record in 2025, the timing makes sense from a pure football standpoint. North Carolina is staring at a brutal early stretch, and the Tar Heels would need any additions to learn the system fast if they’re going to matter.
UNC faces Clemson, No. 4 Notre Dame, Pitt, and Duke by Oct.
There’s also a question hanging over who would actually make the call. North Carolina general manager Michael Lombardi is on paid administrative leave, leaving the decision-making process unclear as the season approaches.
Belichick’s openness to the idea runs counter to how some of his coaching peers view it. SMU’s Rhett Lashlee and Oregon’s Dan Lang are among those who have pushed back hard against the notion of former NFL players returning to college football.
“I think there’s a lot of negatives that are involved around this,” Lanning said. “One, once you go to the NFL, to me, you’re in the NFL.
You don’t get the opportunity to come back. Two, most of us have built our rosters, and you have a limited roster limit now.
"So if you invited somebody back to your team, that means you’re kicking somebody else off your team to match your roster limits. I don’t think that’s fair to the players that worked all summer, all spring, and put themselves in position to be ready to work for a team to have somebody come back."
Lanning’s situation is obviously different, with a roster positioned to chase a national title. Belichick, meanwhile, is operating from a far less secure spot, and for a coach in that position, adding former NFL talent could be the kind of gamble that keeps the Tar Heels competitive - and maybe helps him keep his job in 2027.
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UNCs Overhaul Put One Huge Belichick Question Front And Center
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The bigger question now is how quickly all of those pieces fit together, especially with the offense still being built around Edwards Jr. and a plan to keep adding pass catchers and offensive linemen for 2026. The staff also made a point of strengthening the rushing attack and pass rush, so the next stretch is less about the roster overhaul itself and more about whether this version of the Tar Heels can turn that new structure into something that actually works on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
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For a program long associated with frontcourt size and post presence, that emphasis says plenty about Malones priorities. He has been clear that toughness, effort and guard play will drive what UNC becomes next, and the real question now is how quickly those additions can turn that vision into something the Tar Heels can lean on when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen McGill Is Pushing For A Bigger UNC Role Before TCU
Jaylen McGill has spent the offseason trying to make himself harder to keep off the field, and North Carolinas sophomore running back says the work has centered on the details that coaches notice quickest. He pointed to improvement in pass protection and a growing comfort as a receiver, both signs that he is trying to become more than just another option in the backfield. With the opener against TCU set for Dublin, Ireland, McGill also sounded steady about the quarterback room and the way the offense is coming together under Bobby Petrino.
For a player looking to expand his role, those kinds of comments matter because they fit the broader tone coming out of Chapel Hill. McGill described a locker room that is tight and focused, with players buying into the standard the staff is setting. The Tar Heels still have to show it on game day, but McGills offseason message was clear: he wants a bigger piece of the offense, and he believes he is ready for the chance. [Read more 🡒]