Greg McElroy Shares Biggest Concern About Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Before 2025 Season

Greg McElroy Shares Biggest Concern About Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Before 2025 Season originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

College football is buzzing over Bill Belichick’s leap from the NFL to the ACC, where he’s now leading the North Carolina Tar Heels into a new era. But not everyone is sold just yet—especially former Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy.

On a recent episode of his "Always College Football" podcast, McElroy broke down the biggest question mark facing Belichick’s Tar Heels heading into the 2025 season: roster stability.

“The problem is what will his personnel look like?” McElroy said. “They have endured a complete overhaul on the defensive side of the football. They brought in some key players. They lost some key players.”

That’s putting it lightly. North Carolina saw a staggering 51 players depart via the transfer portal this offseason, while bringing in 41 newcomers. Among the key offensive departures are running back Omarion Hampton and wide receivers J.J. Jones and Tez Walker—three of UNC’s most reliable weapons in recent seasons.

Defensively, Belichick’s son, Steven Belichick, is taking over as coordinator and is expected to bring an aggressive, Patriots-style defensive identity. But McElroy isn’t sure the roster is ready for that transition.

“That’s a big question mark,” he added. “If they can take strides on defense, it should be very intriguing.”

The Belichick era at UNC is one of the most compelling storylines in college football this year. But for all of Bill’s legendary football IQ, McElroy believes the biggest test won’t be play-calling. It’ll be whether Belichick can find the right personnel to replace the massive amount of talent the program just lost.

If UNC can solidify both sides of the ball and navigate the chaos of modern roster turnover, the Tar Heels could be one of the most unpredictable threats in the ACC this fall.

Related: Belichick Bump? UNC Football Tickets Sell Out Before First Snap

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 24, 2025, where it first appeared.