What happens when the greatest defensive mind in NFL history drops into the college football jungle? People lose their minds. Bill Belichick, the man who once gave Peyton Manning nightmares, is now strolling Chapel Hill sidelines in khakis. Clipboard in hand and ready to rewrite UNC’s football fate. The mission for year 1? To do what Coach Prime did in 2023. But here’s the kicker: before Belichick can start painting masterpieces in Carolina blue, he needs to outcoach one of the slickest play-callers in the Big 12.

When Mack Brown rode into retirement, folks thought the story was over. But no, the real twist came after. Bill Belichick. The first side-eye thing he did was hire his son, Steve Belichick, for a DC role. Bill took a lot of heat for that one. And if you thought this was just a family affair, think again. Steve wasn’t just riding pop’s coattails. He’d already transformed Washington’s defense from 99th to 26th in just one season in 2024. That’s not a fluke. That’s a flex. He even brought backup: brother Brian Belichick as DBs coach and NFL vet Jamie Collins to lead the LBs. Now the Tar Heels’ defense got a whole Belichick mafia.

On July 28, College football analyst George Wrighster didn’t mince words on his podcast: “If anybody tells you UNC is a title contender in year one, tag them in this video and tell them to get real… The key move here wasn’t Mack Brown’s retirement. It was the hiring of Bill Belichick’s son, Steve Belichick, to run the defense. Because, for all Mack Brown, everything that he did well, his defenses were consistently putrid.” But then George added a little spice: “If UNC can get stops, they will compete, because they’ve got three solid quarterbacks.” And that’s the heart of it. Nobody’s expecting UNC to drop 40 burgers on Clemson or go toe-to-toe with Georgia yet. But get a few stops, and suddenly, you’re not just playing games, you’re winning them.

Mack Brown did everything right except run the defense. His defense history is horrible. Let’s talk receipts. In 2024, UNC’s defense ranked 72nd in total defense. The secondary? Don’t ask. Somewhere around 81st. You know it’s bad when a JMU team drops seventy on you in your own crib. That loss wasn’t just embarrassing. It was a funeral for the old regime. But with Steve now in the lab, the goal is flipping the script. Because defense has been the one thing holding UNC back from being real contenders.

Steve’s walking into a locker room that’s got some firepower. On offense, the Tar Heels are stacked with good-caliber QBs: Gio Lopez, the slick dual-threat sophomore; Max Johnson, the seasoned vet; and Bryce Baker, a freshman with freak potential. They’re gonna score. If that defense is sorted, then the only thing stopping Bill Belichick from having a Deion Sanders style Colorado run is Sonny Dykes of TCU.

And George Wrighster pointed this out too: “They’re going to score points, and they don’t play a real defense until, what, like week five? When Clemson comes to Durham. They could build some momentum to start the season. And if North Carolina, if they beat TCU in Bill Belichick’s first game, that hype train is going to go out of control. Oh wait, wait, that’s exactly what happened to Coach Prime over at Colorado when he beat TCU in his first game. Gotta study that.” 

Coach Prime. Let’s not forget what went down in Boulder. 2023. Colorado vs. TCU. Prime’s Power 4 debut. 20.5-point underdogs. Final score? 45–42. Deion Sanders flipped the sport on its head, with his son Shedeur balling out for 510 yards and Travis Hunter turning into a human cheat code. The win launched Colorado into superstardom overnight. And now, Belichick’s got the same chance. Beat TCU in Game 1, and UNC goes from dark horse to headline.

But here’s the twist. This isn’t 2023.

Can Bill Belichick start his college football era with a dub against Sonny Dykes’ squad?

TCU’s not gonna roll over and play dead. Sonny Dykes still remembers that L from Prime. He has been stewing. Now he’s got a new-look squad and a point to prove. The Horned Frogs walk into 2025 with odds around +1200 to win the Big 12. Not favorites, but not sleepers either. And their quarterback Josh Hoover? He ain’t no scrub. Nearly 4,000 passing yards in 2024. The man’s got a howitzer for an arm.

Then there’s the cavalry. Eric McAlister’s back at wideout, burning DBs like toast. Kevorian Barnes, the UTSA transfer, brings 1,700 yards of heat to the backfield. And defensively? Bud Clark and Jamel Johnson holding it down at safety. Add in edge rusher Devean Deal, DT Ansel Din-Mbuh, and CB Elijah Jackson. All transfer players, and you’ve got a squad with teeth.

Now, don’t get it twisted. UNC’s not limping into this fight. They’ve got weapons too. On defense, senior corner Thaddeus Dixon and linebacker Khmori House are gonna be key players. Up front, Daniel King returns to anchor the O-line, while UConn transfer Pryce Yates brings pass rush juice. It’s a blend of veterans and hungry transfers, all trying to make a name under Belichick’s watch. This isn’t just another game. It’s a litmus test. A measuring stick. A chance to say, “We’re here.”

UNC’s win total is set at 7.5, with title odds between +2000 and +2900. But none of that matters if they can’t take care of business on Labor Day at 8 p.m. ET. Because this TCU team, this moment, this opportunity, it’s the perfect storm. Either Belichick shocks the world like Coach Prime or he learns real quick that college football isn’t the NFL. So here we are. UNC vs. TCU. Belichick vs. Dykes. Hype vs. proven. Defense vs. fireworks. It’s not just a season opener. It’s the beginning of a whole new storyline in college football.