After nearly 50 years in the NFL’s coaching circle, Bill Belichick is stepping into a whole new arena—college football. While this may be a new battlefield for the 73-year-old, the changing world of NCAA doesn’t exactly scare him. And why would it? Like he himself said, “I don’t really know any other way, so I don’t know how it was.” All he knows is talent now comes with a price tag, and NIL is the new weapon. “What we’re seeing now is very similar to selling the NFL. It’s different, but they’re a lot similar.” But while the confidence and the NFL pedigree, brought in at least 69 names, the story isn’t exactly this lopsided.

Over 50 players entered the transfer portal this offseason—the most ever in UNC’s history and the ACC’s highest including key losses like the team’s tackle leader linebacker Amare Campbell and DE Beau Atkinson, certainly hurt. Even the recent transfer QB Ryan Browne jumped ship to Purdue months after his commitment to UNC. While the Tar Heels looked for a revamp after former HC Mark Brown, seems like more of their football unit will look different this season. And amidst trying to turn turmoil into triumph, Belichick has more bad news.

Yesterday, On3 Recruits’ Chad Simmons confirmed that 3-star wide receiver O’Mari Johnson from Jackson Academy (Wesson, Miss.) has decommitted from UNC. We don’t yet know if it was because of NIL or any other cause. He pledged to the Tar Heels on April 6 after his visit but has officially reopened his recruitment with multiple official visits lined up, including Mississippi State and Tulane in June. Despite the setback, Simmons said UNC remains a top contender in Johnson’s recruitment, but the recruiting battle just got tougher for Coach Belichick—and the Tar Heels.

Talking about his decision, Johnson said, “After careful consideration with my family, I have decided to decommit from the University of North Carolina. Thank you to the coaching staff for the opportunity, North Carolina will remain a top school, but now my recruitment is now 100-percent open.”

The Jackson Academy standout is ranked No. 446 nationally, No. 69 among WRs, and No. 15 in Mississippi for the 2026 class, per On3. If official visits seal the deal, it could be a tough loss for UNC — and a huge win for whoever lands him next. The 6-foot, 170-pound wideout also has contacted Ole Miss, Missouri, Oregon State and Louisville.

Johnson was one of 15 pledges in the 2026 class, leaving UNC’s 32nd ranking class with just two WR commits: Darrion Kirksey and Kei’Maurii Miles. Although he’s got official visits locked in at Tulane and M-State, he’s also hearing from Missouri, Ole Miss, Louisville, and Oregon State. But that’s not all — with this recruiting blow comes another gut punch for Bill Belichick at UNC. Now, he’s sounding the alarm on what may be his biggest hurdle yet in the ACC.

Bill Belichick’s ACC reality check

Yes, we’re talking about Dabo Swinney and the Clemson Tigers. Once a recruiting powerhouse, Clemson’s shine has started to fade. Per On3, the 2025 class currently ranks No. 23, and while the 2024 group landed at No. 14, it lacked the dominance we once expected. From 2011 to 2023, Swinney’s classes consistently finished in the top 10. So, what changed?

The truth is—nothing really did. Swinney refused to adapt. “We built this program on NIL… We really did. It’s probably different than what you’re thinking of. We built this program in God’s name, image, and likeness,” he famously said, brushing off modern NIL trends. And according to former Tiger Nate Wiggins, “He hates the portal.” That resistance to evolution might create a window for Bill Belichick—but the climb won’t be easy.

Fox Sports’ Colin Cowherd laid it out clearly — Belichick’s path to toppling Clemson runs through only one way. “When you’re a basketball school, how do you catch Clemson? Well, you have to be a disruptor. So, Clemson’s like, we’re not going to do the NIL thing. And that’s an opening. And so they say, ‘We’re gonna go pro model. We’re gonna go total pro model’… Lombardi, Belichick. It’s like when Oregon was looking up at USC and Washington, Phil Knight said, ‘Forget tradition. We’re going to have 1,000 uniforms. We’re gonna go the opposite of Washington and Penn State and USC and Michigan. And we’re gonna recruit California and we’re gonna be crazy… motorcycles on the field. They were disruptors.

“Chip Kelly, ‘We’re gonna play calls every 13 seconds. No huddles. That’s how they are a power. So, I look at Carolina saying, ‘Listen we’re a basketball school. Let’s do the opposite of Clemson. It’s the only way we can catch up. Brand of that facility is ‘We’re now officially a total pro model.'”

And now, UNC, a program for its storied basketball division, has their own version of that shake-up. With six Super Bowl rings and a mind built for the pros, Belichick has the blueprint—and the brand—to flip the ACC script. Belichick isn’t just building a team—he’s building a machine. He brought in former NFL GM Michael Lombardi, locking him down at $1.5 million a year. That’s decades of pro-level insight added to the Tar Heels’ war room. On top of that, UNC has reportedly set aside nearly $13 million in NIL funds from the $20.5 million House settlement cap. The message?

They’re ready to spend smart. Add Belichick’s aggressive portal strategy and his Pan-American recruiting push, and the blueprint is clear. This isn’t a rebuild. It’s a revolution. The Belichick era is taking shape—and the future looks fearless. Now, let’s see how the mastermind handles the recruiting setback.