Bill Belichick might be new to college football, but he is no stranger to the sport. As a longtime fan and NFL head coach, Belichick has scouted hundreds of players in college, particularly those from his new rivals in the ACC. Ahead of his first season with North Carolina, the 73-year-old revealed to Dabo Swinney who his favorite former Clemson player is.

Belichick had high praise for DeShaun Watson and DeAndre Hopkins, but singled out defensive tackle Christian Wilkins as his favorite former Tiger. The new Tar Heels coach recalled facing Wilkins when the two were rivals in the AFC East.

“Dabo's players have caused me a lot of headaches through the years,” Belichick said in an ACC Network interview. “Watson, Hopkins, Christian Wilkins… [My favorite] probably would be Wilkins. Character, playing ability, all-around player. He could rush, he could run, had a heck of a college career, and then a heck of an NFL career. We had a hard time blocking at Miami twice a year.”

Belichick and Swinney have simultaneously coached for decades, but never at the same level. Before the 2025 season, Swinney has spent his entire 31-year career at Alabama and Clemson, while Belichick has never before coached collegiately.

Yet, with Belichick coming out of retirement to coach North Carolina, the two are now professional rivals. Despite being arguably the greatest coach in football history, Belichick is a rookie for the first time in 25 years.

Christian Wilkins' Clemson career

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One of Belichick's six Super Bowl titles came in 2018, the same season Swinney claimed his most recent national championship. That put Belichick's New England Patriots well out of Wilkins' range in the 2019 NFL Draft. Fresh off a national title, Wilkins was easily a top-15 prospect and ended up going to the Miami Dolphins at No. 13.

In his four seasons at Clemson, Wilkins was a part of Swinney's elite defensive line era that rivaled any other front seven in college football history. The unit consisted of Wilkins, Clelin Ferrell and Dexter Lawrence II, each receiving All-American honors in their careers.

Wilkins, in particular, helped Swinney win two national championships. He was twice a first-team All-American, including once receiving a unanimous selection. Wilkins also earned two first-team All-ACC honors while claiming the William V. Campbell Trophy as a senior, given to the player with the “best combined academic success, football performance and exemplary leadership.”

Wilkins spent the first five years of his NFL career with the Dolphins, facing Belichick's Patriots 10 total times in those years. Upon hitting unrestricted free agency in 2024, he signed a massive four-year, $110 million deal with the Las Vegas Raiders.