Bill Belichick had to cross many mountains and seas to adapt to the early waves of his collegiate stint. Especially in roster building, the former Patriots head coach had to reshuffle the entire locker room upon his arrival. Although his lofty career in the NFL and the axiomatic GOAT image made the job a bit easier to draw talent across the nation and build a decent recruitment class for the years. It was all fair and good. However, the real challenge started when the spring practice reps started to show major loopholes since the outset of March.

Belichick brought three new quarterbacks to his star-studded roster this offseason. Freshman Bryce Baker, Purdue transfer Ryan Browne, and 2025 recruit Au’tori Newkirk. Each of them looked like a solid pull initially. But from a zoomed-in view, you can sense that none of them is checking the boxes. Explaining the dilemma, UNC insider Scott Fisher said, “His quarterback room is full of unique and, honestly, not very experienced options. He has a quarterback who started two games for Purdue, a guy who’s a sixth-year coming off of a horrible injury, and then two true freshmen who shot up recruiting rankings. This is truly a bizarre quarterback room for a first-year head coach.”

Browne came fresh off an 8-game starting streak last season for the Boilermakers. His numbers stand at 534 yards and four touchdowns, with a pair of picks. Against Illinois, the cannon-armed, dual-threat quarterback was a real treat to the eye. Although he came up short on the scoreboard, his 297 yards put him on the rare elite list of college football QBs. The 6’4 has three years of eligibility left on his card, so he will get a lot of time to earn the stripes. However, making an immediate impact is not guaranteed. “While I don’t think Ryan Browne will probably win the job, he’s at least going to get a crack at it because of his potential,” the analyst crafted the bottom line.

The No. 2 on the list is Au’tori Newkrik. Coming with a solid high school stat under his belt, the kid hailing from the East Coast was always a dependable kid in the pocket for the Tar Heels. The left-handed quarterback brought some awe-inspiring skill to the table. Running game? Sick! Toughness? Crazy! Athleticism? Off the chart! But will these traits get the job done?? Will “Baby Vick’ (people compare him to Michael Vick) run the Tar Heels offense leading up to the season? Fisher’s honest reaction: “To expect an 18-year-old to come in and win the starting job would be a little bit crazy, but again, this quarterback room is extremely confusing to me, and in my opinion, he definitely has the athleticism and the ability to start, but there’d probably be a sharp learning curve for him.”

The stock is pretty much the same for the Walkertown school alumna Bryce Baker. Despite possessing the gifts, he has yet to prove it in the spring of his sophomore season.

The 2024 situation was a messy conundrum for the Tar Heels as well. They had to let Max Johnson sit for the entire season after a devastating leg (broken femur) injury during the season opener against Minnesota in August. Now, the question is, will he revert heading into the 2025 regular season? The answer is still up in the air. Also, even if they continue lacing up the shoes in the matchups, his ceiling isn’t really that good after a medical redshirt year on the sidelines. But then, he will walk in as the most experienced guy in the room. So, he is in contention, but not without doubts.