The North Carolina Tar Heels finally moved on from Mack Brown after 6 seasons of the head coach being at the helm. The second stint of Mack Brown, which started in 2019, has had some bittersweet moments. But the 2024 season, which ended with 6-6 overall, finally ended the long-term head coach’s reign at UNC. And this started another chapter in UNC’s history: the Tar Heels’ stint with the legendary head coach Bill Belichick.
Despite the season the Tar Heels had in 2024, there was one player who still exceeded all expectations and etched his name in CFB’s record books. This was the running back Omarion Hampton. The RB not only finished with 1,660 receiving yards in the 2024 season but also added 373 receiving yards, totaling 2,033 yards for the season. This feat made him the only player in UNC’s history to achieve this and surpassed Don McCauley’s record of 2,021 yards. Bill Belichick rightly brought some of his ‘selfish’ antics as the RB revealed in a recent interview with Ian Rapoport.
Rapoport asked the QB if Belichick tried to bring the RB back for another year and sway him from registering in the NFL draft. The RB praised the legendary coach and provided an interesting take. “He talked to me a little bit, trying to get me back, but I kind of had my mind made up. I talked to my family already and talked to my agent. It’s always been a dream of mine to play in the NFL. So I mean, yeah. I feel like I just had to take the opportunity to do it“.
Well, Omarion Hampton is undoubtedly one of the prized possessions in the 2025 NFL draft. The RB deservedly ranked 2nd, only behind another explosive RB, Ashton Jeanty from Boise State, in rushing yards. And thus becomes interestingly valuable for several franchises. The RB is projected to be a late first-round pick, going behind Ashton Jeanty in the same round. Several teams are speculated, but the Broncos edge out among them for several reasons.
The Broncos have a 20th pick in the NFL draft in the first round. With this pick, they probably won’t be able to draft Jeanty to their roster, but they still can get their hands on Hampton. The Broncos also had trouble running last season, as no RB produced over 550 yards. Moreover, the offense that the Broncos use involves spread concepts with an incorporation of RPO schemes. Hampton will be perfect, as he can also deliver receiving yards and be the dual-threat RB that the Broncos and Bo Bix would want.
Another QB battle on cards in CFB at UNC?
We all know about the Nico Iamaleava transfer move by now, which has shaken college football. All types of accusations are being poured in, and many are touting that the QB won’t find a decent place to land after his Tennessee snub. Amidst all of those rumors, Bill Belichick was touted to land Iamaleava, and several reports said the same. But recent reports have revealed an opposite scenario.
According to ON3, the Tar Heels won’t be making a move on Nico Iamaleava and will take their chances with their 4-star QB, Bryce Baker, a 2025 enrollee. However, now another QB who threw for 2,559 yards in his senior year has emerged in the QB battle. That is Gio Lopez, the player who joined the Tarheels this offseason on transfer from South Alabama and would look to provide more edge in the QB battle at UNC. Lopez also opened up on the potential move and his battle.
“For me, to go to North Carolina would be a great opportunity, as Coach Belichick has so much to teach and offer any college football player. This could be a once-in-a-lifetime chance”. The QB praised Bill Belichick, but later made his stance clear on the QB battle, too. “I didn’t enter the portal to not be a starter, I can assure you of that fact”.
The battle will be intriguing to watch now. And with other programs like Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Colorado in similar battles for QBs, one more battle makes college football even more interesting to watch.
The post Broncos’ Touted R1 Pick Exposes Bill Belichick’s Selfish Antics Amid UNC’s 2,559-Yard QB Move appeared first on EssentiallySports.