A chronically struggling unit for years, North Carolina's defense has a new training regimen with Bill Belichick as head coach.

The UNC Tar Heels begin a new era this fall with Bill Belichick as their coach. It’s unclear just how they’ll perform under the first-year coach, but members of the the ACC media predicted where the team will finish in its annual rankings. The 2025 ACC preseason poll doesn’t have UNC finishing top 3, but the Tar Heels are in the top 10 at No. 8.

Belichick avoided the rows of radio reporters in the hotel lobby and spent much of the morning in a hallway outside the green room for players and coaches, down the hall from private rooms for interviews with ESPN.com, SiriusXM and the ACC Digital Network.