By Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Chapel Hill, N.C. — The Bill Belichick era in Chapel Hill started with much fanfare when the six-time Super Bowl-winning head coach held his introductory news conference in December.

Several questions remain between now and the start of the 2025 season. Chiefly among them: Who will be North Carolina’s starting quarterback?

QBs returning to UNC in 2025

A possibility includes four-star freshman Bryce Baker, whom Belichick appeared with during his introductory speech at the Dean Smith Center. Others include Purdue transfer Ryan Browne and returning quarterbacks Jacolby Criswell and Max Johnson.

Criswell started the Fenway Bowl but left after taking a massive hit. He has played five seasons, four at North Carolina (2020-2022, 2024) and one at Arkansas (2023).

Criswell has one season of eligibility left. He has completed 221 passes on 378 attempts for 2,806 yards, 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Johnson has the most game experience, playing for LSU from 2020-2021 and Texas A&M from 2022-23.

But he has only played in one game for the Tar Heels – the 2024 season opener – and has since had a series of surgeries on his leg.

Johnson has said he plans to return to UNC for the 2025 season, but that was before the university fired former head coach Mack Brown.

Baker is considered ESPN’s No. 4 dual-threat quarterback in the 2025 class. He is listed at 6-foot-3 and is from Kernersville. He was a two-year starter at East Forsyth High School.

Browne appeared in nine games from 2023-2024 at Purdue, completing 55 of 92 passes for 636 yards. He threw for four touchdowns and two interceptions.

Quarterbacks Conner Harrell and Michael Merdinger have both announced their intentions to transfer. Harrell is heading to Charlotte and Merdinger remains in the portal as of Tuesday.

Could UNC add QBs not currently on the roster?

Belichick will likely add some members to UNC’s 2025 class between now and National Signing Day on Feb. 5, 2025. Plus, there is a second transfer portal window from April 16-25.

However, most of the top transfer quarterbacks have already committed to other schools.

UNC will look to continue its pipeline of NFL quarterbacks after producing Drake Maye, Sam Howell and Mitch Trubisky.

Reports indicated that when Belichick got hired at UNC, the university increased its name, image and likeness commitments from $4 million to $20 million. The increase helped the university hire Belichick and will be likely to attract top players.

Perhaps the biggest splash Belichick could make this offseason would be to use some of the NIL money to land Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers.

It’s no secret Texas wants to start the Arch Manning era. Manning, who played well this season while Ewers was injured, is the nephew of legendary quarterbacks Peyton Manning and Eli Manning.

A decision about Ewers’ future is expected soon after Texas’ loss to Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl.

Ewers could also decide to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, especially considering it’s a weak quarterback class compared to the year before. Miami’s Cam Ward and Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders are widely considered the top two quarterbacks in the draft.

Who will be UNC’s offensive coordinator and defensive coordinator in 2025?

Regardless of who starts at quarterback for the Tar Heels in the 2025 season, the team must also fill out its coaching staff.

Belichick has said this will happen as college football’s postseason play begins to wrap up and as NFL teams start the playoffs this coming weekend.

Former UNC interim head coach Freddie Kitchens will remain on Belichick’s staff in some capacity. There is the possibility Kitchens, who served as the Cleveland Browns head coach in 2019, will become the team’s offensive coordinator.

Belichick will need to consider his offensive coordinator options.

Kitchens called plays as the Browns’ offensive coordinator in 2018.

Before becoming UNC’s tight ends coach and run game coordinator from 2023-2024, Kitchens was a tight ends coach for the New York Giants in 2020, a senior offensive assistant and interim offensive coordinator for the Giants in 2021 and a senior analyst for South Carolina in 2022.

Bill’s son, Stephen Belichick, is expected to become the program’s defensive coordinator. The younger Belichick served as Washington’s defensive coordinator in 2024 and helped improve the defense.

According to Sports Reference, Washington’s defense allowed 324.8 yards per game in the 2024 season (27th in the country). The year before, Washington allowed 406.7 yards per game (99th in the country).

Stephen Belichick, 37, worked under his father on the Patriots’ staff for years. He was the Patriots’ outside linebackers coach from 2020-23, the defensive backs coach in 2019, the safeties coach from 2016-18 and a defensive assistant from 2012-15.

Source: wralsportsfan.com