Five players who will be vital for Bill Belichick's North Carolina in 2025
By Rory-Joe Daniels
There was no bigger story in the College Football offseason than the hiring of longtime Patriots head coach Bill Belichick to the North Carolina Tar Heels. It set in motion hours of hand-wringing from national analysts, keen to give their opinion on how one of, if not the greatest, NFL head coaches would fare in the college ranks.
Most of that analysis has focused on how Belichick’s management style would translate to 18- to 21-year-olds, rather than a group of grizzled veterans, who are solely focused on acquiring Super Bowl rings. Somewhat less light has been shone on the actual players who will have to represent Belichick in his first season. Nobody expects a playoff charge from the Tar Heels, but Belichick has immediately changed the personnel with 18 incoming transfers and 16 outgoing transfers. So, who are the likely stars in this group? Let’s look at five faces which might be worth familiarising yourself with.
Gio Lopez, Quarterback
Is there anywhere else to start other than the QB? Lopez arrives from South Alabama and immediately becomes the poster child for the Belichick regime. He’s no Tom Brady, that’s for sure. At 6’0 (that could be generous) and 220lbs, Lopez is comfortable throwing on the move and shifting the pocket. He has a live arm, which should excite the fans in Chapel Hill.
He threw for 17 touchdowns and only five interceptions last season as he assumed the starting role for the Jaguars. With a big throw % of 5.5 from PFF, it’s clear that Lopez shows no fear in attacking defenses downfield. His dual-threat ability was showcased with 540 yards rushing at 7.4 yards per attempt and another seven scores.
That’s not to say the jump in competition will be easy for Lopez, transferring from the Sun Belt to the ACC ensures that he will come up against NFL talent with more regularity. He will benefit from the guidance of another former NFL Head Coach, Freddie Kitchens, who makes the step up to offensive coordinator under Belichick.
It will be a departure from what we have come to see from Patriots’ QBs, but Lopez has all the makings of an exciting and headline-making college quarterback.
Austin Blaske, Center
Arguably, the most important and talented player along the Tar Heels’ offensive line will be center Austin Blaske. After limited snaps behind the likes of Sedrick Van Pran and Jared Wilson, the former four-star transferred to North Carolina from Georgia. His abilities were immediately put to good use, starting 11 games in 2025.
Your eyes are immediately drawn to Blaske on tape, at 6’5 and 310lbs, he is a hulking presence who wouldn’t seem out of place at left tackle. His pass blocking certainly lives up to that. Once anchored, Blaske is difficult to displace and earned a stellar 83.9 pass blocking grade last season. Yet to concede a sack in college football, Blaske will be a leader for the unit as he enters his senior season.
Belichick has had plenty of talent at the position in the NFL, including Logan Mankins and David Andrews, and he will hope Blaske can provide the stability to build a strong line around. Offensive line coach Will Friend has extensive experience tutoring future NFL players, having coached nine who went on to succeed at the next level. Blaske is one to watch for sure.
Smith Vilbert, Edge Rusher
We move on to the defensive side of the ball, and another transfer will be tasked with regularly getting to the quarterback. If you were looking for anywhere to find a college pass rusher, then the production line at Penn State would likely be your first port of call. Having just shipped Abdul Carter off to the NFL, they have another highly rated prospect, Dani Dennis-Sutton, waiting in the wings. That’s likely why Vilbert packed his bags for a power-5 starting role.
It’s been a rocky road for Vilbert, who enters his 7th season in college football at the ripe old age of 24. Having received a true redshirt, Covid redshirt and a medical exemption, Smith’s playing time has been limited for a player his age. After missing essentially all of ‘22 and injury derailing ‘23, Vilbert returned in a rotational role for the Nittany Lions, logging a solitary sack in the season opener vs West Virginia.
For a man of his size (6’6, 280lbs), Vilbert gets out of his stance pretty quickly, and while he is not a speed rusher, he works hard to set the edge and power through blocks. His tweener size makes him an ideal candidate to play inside as well, something we know Belichick values, given the multiplicity of his defensive schemes. Could it be lucky season 7 for Vilbert in Chapel Hill? With edge looking like one of the weaker areas of the roster, fans will certainly hope so.
Mikai Gbayor, Linebacker
The linebacker position has tended to be the heartbeat of Belichick’s teams over the years in the NFL. Just think of some of the names to have starred for the Patriots – Jerod Mayo, Mike Vrabel, Jamie Collins, Brandon Spikes to name a few. So, it will be a body blow to lose returning linebacker Amare Campbell to Penn State in the spring transfer portal.
It has led to somewhat of a scramble to replace him, and the Tar Heels have landed on former Nebraska ‘backer Mikai Gbayor. Gbayor had initially transferred to Missouri in the winter portal, but the return of Triston Newson perhaps left him feeling further from a starting spot than expected.
As a Cornhusker, Gbayor racked up 73 tackles, including 9 for loss, over two years. He projects as a physical, downhill thumper considering his 6’2, 230lbs frame and an impressive run defense grade of 78.3 from PFF in 2024. Where he will need to show improvement is in coverage. He only graded out at 64.7 in that area. The Tar Heels will need Gbayor and the rest of the linebacker group to hit the ground running.
Thaddeus Dixon, Cornerback
The new defensive coordinator in Chapel Hill is Bill Belichick’s son, Steve. He arrives after leading the Washington Huskies to a top-30 performance in total defense. He’s brought across some of ‘his guys’ to help ease the transition. One of the key names to watch is cornerback Thaddeus Dixon.
Dixon was ever-present during his second season in Washington and will likely occupy one of the outside corner spots in 2025. He earned a PFF coverage grade of 80.9 and had a knack for finding the ball. He had 10 pass breakups and 1 interception for the Huskies. With ball skills like that, Dixon can certainly put himself in the frame as an early-round draft prospect.
Equally adept in man and zone coverage, it will be interesting to see Dixon against the likes of Antonio Williams when the Tar Heels match up against Clemson. With the lack of proven pass rush production up front, Dixon may need to be at his best in order to keep North Carolina competitive.
Rory-Joe DanIELS
COLLEGE FOOTBALL ANALYST
AS A LONG-SUFFERING CINCINNATI BENGALS FAN, RORY HAS FOLLOWED THE NFL FOR OVER 20 YEARS. HIS PASSION FOR THE DRAFT LED HIM TO GET ENTANGLED WITH COLLEGE FOOTBALL AND HE HAS BEEN WRITING ABOUT PROSPECTS AND THE CFB LANDSCAPE EVER SINCE.