North Carolina’s 2025-26 athletic year delivered plenty of headline-grabbing moments, and the middle stretch of the countdown is packed with everything from a breakout basketball freshman to a rough opening act for the school’s new football coach.
Caleb Wilson’s freshman season was the kind of run that had people tuning in every night. The forward brought dunks, defense and nonstop energy to the floor, turning himself into appointment viewing almost immediately.
Injuries, though, cut the story short. Wilson played in only 24 games after breaking his wrist in the middle of the season, then suffered another setback while trying to get back for the regular-season finale at Duke when he broke his shooting thumb in practice.
That ended his year before he could return.
Even with the limited sample, Wilson put up huge numbers: 19.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.4 blocks per game. He scored at least 20 points in 17 of his 24 games and never finished with fewer than 12. His games against Kansas and Duke were the kind of performances that showed exactly why he became one of the country’s most exciting players.
North Carolina women’s tennis also had a major individual breakthrough thanks to Reese Brantmeier. The senior won the NCAA singles national championship after surviving a six-match run that included four three-set battles.
When it mattered most, she finished in straight sets in the title match. Brantmeier also picked up ACC Player of the Year honors for the second straight season, ended the year ranked No. 2 in singles and No. 4 in doubles, and, according to UNC, became the first player in program history to earn All-America honors every chance she had during her college career.
The women’s lacrosse team kept rolling, too, even if the ending came one step short of the mountaintop. After going unbeaten and winning the national title in 2025, the Tar Heels repeated as ACC regular-season and tournament champions and made it all the way back to the NCAA championship game.
Carolina beat Clemson, Stanford and Maryland before losing to Northwestern, 14-11, in the final. The defeat stopped the repeat bid, but back-to-back trips to the title game still marked another elite season.
Then came the storyline that drew the most national attention: Bill Belichick’s first season as North Carolina’s football coach. The six-time Super Bowl-winning coach brought instant spotlight to the program, but the results on the field never caught up to the buzz.
UNC finished 4-8 overall and 2-6 in ACC play, even with a schedule that looked manageable going in. Close losses to California and Virginia, along with one-sided defeats to TCU, Clemson and NC State, left the program with plenty to sort out entering Year 2.
Roster turnover, transfer portal timing and the added scrutiny around the program only made the debut season harder.
Four moments are in the books, and the final three are still to come.
In Other News...
RJ Davis Just Got Another Chance UNC Fans Need To See
RJ Davis pro path already has a little momentum behind it after a strong first G League season with South Bay. He earned All-NBA G League Rookie Team honors, was picked for the NBA G League Next Up Game and showed enough polish as a scorer and table-setter to keep his name in circulation as summer league rosters started to take shape.
Now he is getting another chance to make an impression in a new setting, and that alone is worth watching for Tar Heels fans who have followed his climb from Chapel Hill to the next level. The Spurs summer league roster includes Davis, a move that caught some people off guard and gives him a fresh stage to keep building on the kind of rookie campaign that made him one of the more interesting Carolina alums in the pro pipeline. [Read more 🡒]
Henri Veesaar Just Silenced Doubts About Leaving UNC Early
Henri Veesaars decision to head to the NBA after one season in Chapel Hill has already aged well. The former North Carolina big man went 52nd overall in the 2026 NBA Draft to the Atlanta Hawks, a slot that may have raised some eyebrows after he was projected much higher, but the early returns point to a player whose market was stronger than the draft number suggested.
What makes the outcome even more notable for UNC is the deal structure that followed, with Veesaar landing a contract that looks much closer to what higher second-round picks have received in recent years than to the usual modest rookie arrangement for that range. For a player weighing whether to stay in college longer or make the jump, it is the kind of pro landing spot that quiets a lot of second-guessing and suggests his camp managed the process as well as possible. [Read more 🡒]
Belichick Just Gave UNC Fans Another Reason To Believe In 2027
North Carolinas 2027 recruiting class picked up another notable piece when Chad Willis, a three-star wide receiver from Orchard Lake, Michigan, came aboard as a big-bodied target with the kind of profile that tends to fit in almost any passing game. Listed at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, Willis brings the traits of a possession receiver, with blocking ability and strong work at the catch point, and he adds to a class that is already starting to take shape on the offensive side.
Willis chose the Tar Heels after taking visits to all three of his finalists, giving UNC another receiver in a group that already includes A'mare Patterson and Anthony Williams. He arrived as the 18th commitment in North Carolinas Class of 2027, a meaningful addition for a program trying to keep stacking size and options for the future. [Read more 🡒]