07-05-2025
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank
UNC football ranked in bottom half of FBS teams according to USA TODAY Sports re-rank Can the UNC football program surpass its preseason rankings?
There arguably isn't a college football program with more offseason hype than the North Carolina Tar Heels, who made the greatest offseason splash by hiring Bill Belichick, an 8-time Super Bowl Champion, to be their next head football coach.
UNC had a disappointing 2024 campaign under Mack Brown headlined by a blowout loss to James Madison, coupled with another late-season collapse, which sealed his fate. With Belichick in charge, the hope is North Carolina becomes a consistent winner.
The Tar Heels are already starting to see the Belichick Effect take place, with several high-profile players in the transfer portal announcing their commitments. UNC's greatest offseason add is South Alabama quarterback Gio Lopez, while the trenches are completely revamped.
Despite all the talent North Carolina brought into Chapel Hill, the boys in baby blue still have to prove themselves on the football field.
In USA TODAY Sports' re-rank of all 136 FBS teams (welcome, Delaware and Missouri State) after spring practice, the Tar Heels landed 80th.
UNC finds itself sandwiched between UConn (79th), who won the 2024 Fenway Bowl between both programs and Kentucky, which missed a bowl game for the first time since 2015.
North Carolina will be on full display in its 2025 kickoff game, hosting TCU under the Kenan Stadium lights on Monday, September 1 (Labor Day) at 7:30 p.m. ET. The Horned Frogs finished their 2024 campaign 9-4, dominating Louisiana, 34-3, in the New Mexico Bowl.
Preseason rankings mean nothing, so don't be concerned the Tar Heels are amongst the FBS' bottom half. What matters is that UNC turns into a consistent winner – with Belichick leading the way, that's a very strong possibility.
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