Aj Marks was preparing for what he thought could be a standard college day when considered one of his coaches at IMG (Fla.) Academy despatched him a textual content message.
“Come over to the fieldhouse. Invoice Belichick needs to speak to you, needs to see you.”
Marks had no concept Belichick was on the town, not to mention on his highschool campus. However as any tech-savvy teenager would do, the 2026 cornerback recruit rapidly screenshotted the message so he might hold it in his recordsdata eternally. When he made his strategy to the fieldhouse, Belichick was ready with one other shock.
“I used to be pondering perhaps I’d simply go over there and introduce myself, have a fast dialog and be carried out, actually,” Marks mentioned. “However I ended up speaking to him for an hour and half-hour after which he ended the dialog by providing me (a scholarship to North Carolina).
“Assembly him, that’s lots of people’s goals. He’s actually the best coach of all time.”
Wow! Blessed to obtain a supply to @UNCFootball by the GOAT himself @Belichick_B 😤@thebillymiller @BlaylockAndrew @Ballhawk__8 @Coachcliff904 @BuckFitz @CoachMcCannERT @dzoloty @CoachKiddIMG @MohrRecruiting @JButler_210 @Zack_Poff_MP @RivalsFriedman @RisingStars6 pic.twitter.com/faVpq2AUg9
— Aj Marks C/O 2026 IMG DB/ATH (@AjMarks_1) January 28, 2025
Belichick, the 72-year-old first-time faculty head coach, has hit the recruiting path over the previous couple of months as he appears to be like to construct North Carolina right into a nationwide contender. Within the final month, he has been from Massachusetts to Florida and in every single place in between, connecting with prospects like Marks to make his pitch.
Belichick has his work minimize out for him. North Carolina has six commitments within the 2026 class however only one prospect who ranks within the high 500 nationally. However ask any recruit what it has been prefer to spend time with him, and all the solutions have echoed Marks’ sentiment — simply being within the presence of the six-time Tremendous Bowl winner feels surreal.
“Earlier than I even shook his hand, it was like, ‘Wow.’ It was form of like, I assume individuals these days name it an ‘aura,’” mentioned Nicco Maggio, a Class of 2025 defensive lineman from Georgia who signed with North Carolina earlier this month. “You’re form of similar to, ‘Wow. That’s him.’ He’s the G.O.A.T.”
Belichick first hit the highway in January and targeted most of his efforts on the East Coast. Hiring former IMG Academy head coach Billy Miller to his workers gave him direct entry to among the nation’s high expertise out of the Florida powerhouse, the place he supplied 4 different gamers along with Marks on that January morning.
Belichick additionally pounded the pavement in North Carolina, stopping in to go to a trio of four-star edge rushers — Zavion Griffin-Haynes (Rolesville), Noah Clark (Durham) and Aiden Harris (Matthews) — and maybe most notably, five-star Oregon tight finish commit Kendre Harrison, who attends Reidsville Excessive and is anticipated to play soccer and basketball on the collegiate degree.
— ok̷e̷n̷d̷r̷e̷’̷ ̷h̷a̷r̷r̷i̷s̷o̷n̷ (@SupremeDre8) February 1, 2025
In late January, Belichick made his strategy to Nashville for an in-home go to with Jared Curtis, the No. 1 quarterback within the Class of 2026 and a former Georgia commit.
Nice in dwelling go to at this time! pic.twitter.com/vDwpLQ3Ybd
— Jared Curtis 2026 QB (@Jaredcurtis37) January 27, 2025
And in a transfer that has separated Belichick from his UNC predecessors, he has spent noticeable time within the Northeast, the place prospects and coaches had been pleased to listen to he plans to make the area a precedence for the Tar Heels.
“He got here in by means of the decrease parking zone doorways and a whole lot of the seniors bought to see him and clearly as quickly as they see him, it’s pandemonium,” mentioned Vito Campanile, the top coach at New Jersey energy Bergen Catholic. “Clearly he’s going to have a nationwide model simply due to who he’s and he mandates that, proper? (However) I don’t care if a child is from the center of California, Oklahoma or New Jersey — when Invoice Belichick comes to speak to you, it is best to have your eyes extensive open.”
Campanile mentioned that Belichick was “actually participating” and “past refreshing,” coming throughout as somebody who appeared “past reinvigorated” to tackle a brand new problem. Belichick appears to choose approaching recruits in small group settings to foster significant conversations in a roundtable-like atmosphere.
As for his pitch, Belichick has targeted on improvement and his plans to run UNC like an NFL program. He introduced alongside Joshua Grimes, the previous government chef for the Patriots, to tackle the identical position at North Carolina, and he had Bergen Catholic recruits’ full consideration when he instructed them that 17 of his former gamers had been in some unspecified time in the future the highest-paid at their place within the NFL.
“It’s instantaneous credibility, proper? And you may hear a pin drop within the room,” Campanile mentioned. “The youngsters are going to sit down up just a little bit extra of their chair, they’re gonna have unbelievable eye contact since you’re speaking to the usual of excellence in soccer teaching. If you wish to be nice and also you need a possibility to develop, how might you not hear?”
When Belichick arrived at Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass., earlier than dawn at some point final month, it was a reminder of the unorthodox hours all faculty coaches should hold. He was available to watch a morning exercise and was accompanied by Andrew Blaylock, his assistant director of participant personnel.
“It’s not like these movies the place you may have youngsters listening to ’80s music they usually don’t know who it’s. It wasn’t a type of issues,” mentioned Jeff Moore, head coach at Tabor Academy. “They had been very properly conscious, very .”
So too was Moore, a lifelong Patriots fan who grew up in Norton, Mass., about 10 miles from Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Tabor Academy is dwelling to 2027 quarterback Peter Bourque, a four-star prospect who already holds scholarship affords from North Carolina, Wisconsin, Texas A&M, Penn State, Maryland and Rutgers, amongst others.
Moore famous that Belichick comes throughout as a “regular dude.”
Besides when he factors to his legendary work within the NFL, which is a staple of the pitch.
“He talked about even on the Patriots, their success of creating gamers, particularly guys who had been undrafted and have very profitable NFL careers, that was by means of the event of their teaching workers,” Moore mentioned.
It hasn’t been solely enterprise, although.
The longer term Corridor of Famer has leaned into the enjoyable elements of recruiting, too.
Whereas he was chatting with Belichick, Campanile obtained a textual content message from Notre Dame quarterback and Bergen Catholic alum Steve Angeli on the morning of the Orange Bowl. Angeli despatched a photograph of him hanging with Tom Brady, who was having breakfast with Notre Dame’s quarterbacks that morning. Campanile requested Belichick if he’d pose for an image to ship proper again.
“I feel Stevie thought he had me on that one,” Campanile mentioned. “He’s like, ‘I’m with the G.O.A.T.’ I’m like, ‘So am I.’”
And naturally, there are the outfits. Whereas Belichick has opted for a coat and tie on most of his recruiting visits, his signature sweatsuits are alive and properly in Chapel Hill.
In considered one of his most-viewed posts on social media, Maggio shared an image of him with Belichick sporting calf-length sweatpants, footwear with no laces and a sweatshirt.
Coach ‼️ @GreatDayTarHeel pic.twitter.com/G6dlFrnySO
— Nicco Maggio (@MaggioNicco) January 26, 2025
“That was humorous,” Maggio mentioned.
With the useless interval operating by means of March 2 and the quiet interval (no off-campus visits) operating by means of mid-April, Belichick is again in Chapel Hill for the subsequent few months. He can’t hit the highway once more till April 15. However recruits in every single place might be awaiting his arrival.
“All of the rumors, I didn’t assume (him taking the UNC job) would come to fruition and it did. It’s simply loopy,” mentioned Jaire Richburg, a category of 2026 extensive receiver from East Forsyth (N.C.) Excessive and a former teammate of North Carolina quarterback Bryce Baker.
“All of our family and friends inform us, ‘Yo, that is Invoice Belichick. He coached Tom Brady. Julian Edelman. Gronk.’ Loopy.”
(Picture of Jordan Thomas and Invoice Belichick courtesy of Jordan Thomas)