For months, the storylines surrounding Bill Belichick’s surprising move to North Carolina have read more like a celebrity tabloid than a college football coaching hire.
Instead of focusing on the Tar Heels’ week one showdown against TCU, the spotlight has been stuck on the personal life of the six-time Super Bowl champion—more specifically, his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.
Things got so intense that there were actual rumors Hudson had been banned from UNC facilities. And while the university quickly denied that claim, the drama didn’t stop there. National personalities like Pablo Torre have kept the flames burning with speculation that Belichick might not even coach a single game for the Tar Heels, especially with a contract buyout clause set to drop from $10 million to $1 million on June 1.
That date suddenly feels less like a footnote and more like a possible escape hatch. Of course, Hudson has called Torre's reporting "defamatory."
So yeah, it’s been a circus. But amid all that, UNC fans finally got a reason to cheer.
A Major Transfer Portal Win
North Carolina picked up a big-time addition on Sunday with the return of wide receiver Nathan Leacock, a 6'3", 217-pound redshirt sophomore who’s coming back home after brief stints at Tennessee and Purdue. Leacock was a four-star recruit out of Millbrook High School in Raleigh and posted jaw-dropping numbers in high school—1,703 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns as a senior.
This is a much-needed win for Belichick’s first-year rebuild. After a mediocre 6–7 season in 2024 and a coaching change that reset nearly everything, the Tar Heels have added 26 transfers. Leacock brings size, speed, and three years of eligibility, and joins a receiving group that’s already been bolstered through the portal.
It will be interesting to see how things play out in Chapel Hill this season.