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North Carolina football is replacing a past national championship winning head coach with a Super Bowl one. The Tar Heels pulled off the surprising move to hire Bill Belichick Wednesday. North Carolina, in the process, lands a multiple Super Bowl winner and future Pro Football Hall of Famer.
Hoopla fills Chapel Hill as Belichick arrives on campus. But near the top of his list must be getting talent over to UNC. And it starts with utilizing the transfer portal. Already, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt believes Belichick will thrive here.
Will Belichick build his future Tar Heel teams in the mold of his New England Patriots dynasty? Which portal talents already look like a Belichick guy? These are two intriguing questions as we enter the Belichick era of Tar Heels football. He's in the process of turning to Michael Lombardi for help on the coaching staff.
The 72-year-old Belichick, though, has a bevy of options who are seeking a fresh collegiate start. Including talent who officially announced for the portal Wednesday before UNC offered the head coaching job to Belichick. Here's who the 35th head coach in UNC history can target — which is three on offense, three on defense.
Fernando Mendoza, quarterback, Cal
Mendoza officially put his name into the portal ringer Wednesday morning. And the Cal quarterback made his decision less than an hour before the Belichick news.
UNC can strike first in attempting to pilfer an Atlantic Coast Conference quarterback. Mendoza leaves Berkeley with 30 career touchdown throws and 14 interceptions. He also rose from under-recruited walk-on to Cal folk legend. Mendoza became a popular meme during the fan base's “Calgorithm” push in 2024.
Mendoza thrived at one ACC school. Belichick could be drawn to his smarts. But here's another aspect that could coax a Mendoza-Belichick pairing: The Cal QB's usage of tight ends. Jack Endries saw career-best numbers in developing chemistry with Cal's QB1. Belichick has an obvious history of dynamic QB/TE tandems — a la Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski. Mendoza could be the first chess piece for Belichick's UNC team.
Max Klare, tight end, Purdue
The former Boilermakers tight end checks in as 247Sports' No. 1 portal prospect for his position group. He's already on the radar for Boston College per 247Sports' A.J. Black — the same Eagles team led by former Belichick assistant Bill O'Brien.
Belichick, though, will need a impact TE to work with. Now that he's nestling into his new role, he can make a run at his future “Gronk.”
Klare stands at 6-foot-4, 240-pounds. He's leaving West Lafayette, Indiana catching 51 passes, 685 yards and four touchdowns.
Fluff Bothwell, running back, South Alabama
Belichick has built his past teams off a physical, violent ground attack. He won Super Bowls turning to Antowain Smith, Corey Dillon, then later on Sony Michel to wear down defenses.
The 5-foot-10, 225-pound Bothwell is one of the more sought-after portal RBs out of South Alabama. He accumulated 832 rushing yards but scored 13 touchdowns as a true freshman. The fact he's still young from a collegiate perspective should convince Belichick to make a run, then build his running attack around him.
Turns out UNC was in contact with Bothwell once he entered the portal, according to Hayes Fawcett of On3.com.
Jamaal ‘Jah' Jarrett, defensive tackle, Georgia
Perhaps a potential Richard Seymour on Belichick's hands?
Jarrett brings near identical size to the former Georgia and New England star, at a towering 6-foot-6, 338-pounds. He played in 11 total games for the Bulldogs.
The fact he's a Greensboro, North Carolina native gives the new UNC head coach even more leverage to pursue.
Brad Spence, linebacker/edge rusher, Arkansas
How's this for irony? Belichick is heading to the alma mater of one of the first star defenders he coached in the NFL Lawrence Taylor.
He'll need his new “L.T,” even though those are hard to find. Spence, though, is fully capable of igniting Belichick's defense.
The 6-foot-2, 240-pounder brings the positional versatility the new coach's defense often calls for. He snatched five sacks in his last season at Fayetteville. Spence will bring two years of eligibility.
Jahlil Hurley, cornerback, Alabama
Maybe an old pal of Belichick's can put the word in here. The 6-foot-2 CB leaves Alabama as one of the last Nick Saban recruits.
Saban was Belichick's defensive coordinator for the Browns from 1991 to 1994. Hurley stayed loyal to the Crimson Tide even after Saban retired. Now he's off to find his next CFB home.
Belichick has a lengthy history of producing stellar CB play (see Ty Law, Stephone Gilmore and Christian Gonzalez). Hurley brings the multi-dimensional flexibility that Belichick wants from his DBs.
