Big Blow for Bill Belichick as UNC Makes Unexpected Announcement on Tuesday

After an early-season setback, UNC was gaining momentum with back-to-back wins, most recently a 41-6 victory over the Richmond Spiders. The Tar Heels, now 2-1, seemed to be finding their rhythm under Bill Belichick’s guidance. But trouble has again emerged on the roster.

Sources confirmed on Tuesday that wide receiver Aziah Johnson has left the team. The 6-foot, 175-pound redshirt sophomore played just one game this season, logging five snaps in North Carolina‘s Week 2 win at Charlotte, catching a six-yard pass, and recording one drop. During that game, he was on the field for only five snaps, was targeted twice, caught one pass for six yards, but also dropped a catch.

Aziah Johnson transferred from Michigan State to North Carolina for the 2025 season, hoping to make an impact under Bill Belichick in his first year coaching the Tar Heels. The reasons for his early departure have not been made public. Fans were excited about Johnson adding speed and skill to UNC’s offense, but now the team must adjust without him.

Johnson was the ninth transfer recruit to commit to Bill Belichick and the UNC last offseason. Preceding him (in order) are Christo Kelly (OL, Holy Cross), Melkart Abou-Jaoude (DL, Delaware), Connor Cox (TE, South Carolina), Adam Samaha (K, Michigan), CJ Mims (DL, East Carolina), Miles McVay (OL, Alabama), Ryan Browne (QB, Purdue), Chad Lindberg (OL, Rice).

He is a former three-star recruit from Thomas Jefferson High School in Richmond, Virginia. He was ranked No. 927 overall and No. 26 among Virginia prospects in the 247Sports 2023 Composite, listed as an athlete at the time. Johnson became the first wide receiver to join Bill Belichick’s quickly growing group of transfers at North Carolina for Belichick’s first season as head coach at Kenan Stadium. Fans were excited for Johnson to bring his speed and skill to the Tar Heels’ offense as they adjusted to Belichick’s system.

UNC’s football season so far

North Carolina’s defense in 2025 is showing major improvement and has become the most fundamentally sound defense seen in Chapel Hill in many years. The team has gone two straight games without allowing an offensive touchdown, which is rare in today’s game. Tackling and angles are much better, they are fitting runs well, and defenders are better at shedding blocks. This improved defensive competence is something fans have long wished for, especially considering previous offenses featured stars like Sam Howell, Drake Maye, and Josh Downs.

However, the team still faces challenges with depth and the lack of future professional-level players on the roster. Despite those issues, this defense shows far better coaching and execution than recent seasons.

In terms of numbers, UNC currently ranks 69th in total defense (yards per game), 54th in yards per play, and 73rd in SP+ (adjusted for opponent strength and tempo). Opponents have gained yards against UNC comparable to what they achieve against decent defenses, such as Lehigh and App State. Additionally, opponents continue to convert third downs more often than fans would like, ranking 117th in third-down defense.