On to Charlotte, Hubert Davis on Pressure and Expectations, Bryson Howard Official Visit

Plus: Former UNC big men on the move, fall baseball and a major commitment, 5-star women's basketball visitor, big soccer weekend

Kenan Stadium Ahead of UNC vs. TCU 2025 Season Opener | Photo: UNC Athletics

UNC Football’s opening game against TCU was a perfect 10 off the field but left a lot to be desired between the lines. Bill Belichick and Hubert Davis met with the media to give the latest on their respective programs, men’s basketball hosts another official visitor this weekend, women’s basketball also hosted a 5-star recruit, former UNC basketball big men are signing lucrative deals, the latest Olympic sports news, and much more…

Football

Carolina got blown out by TCU, 48-14, on Monday and it looked even worse than that. The Tar Heel football program still has a long way to go. Doc Kennedy at Tar Heel Tribune described it perfectly in his column “The Good, Bad, and Ugly Report.”

“The long, momentous, sometimes surreal nine-month journey to Bill Belichick’s first game as the head football coach of the University of North Carolina finally came to a crescendo with an hour-long love fest on the pregame show, along with dozens of sports and cultural icons and prominent UNC alumni at the game.

And after the textbook opening drive on the heels of a Chamber of Commerce day and the vibes turned up to 11, all seemed right in the world. And then it all fell apart. Badly.“

There were some bright spots for the Tar Heels, however. WR Jordan Shipp (80.2), DT Isaiah Johnson (74.8), WR Javarius Green (74.7), QB Max Johnson (74.1), LB Khmori House (72.4), and CB Thad Dixon (69.8) were UNC’s highest-rated players by Pro Football Focus (PFF).

And despite the loss, the game pulled in huge viewership numbers for UNC. The game’s 6.1 million viewers nearly tripled the Tar Heels’ highest viewership of last season (2.11 million for the Fenway Bowl). And in this day and age where viewership equals dollars, this is a big deal.

Bill Belichick spoke with the media on Wednesday ahead of the Tar Heels’ game at Charlotte on Saturday night but gave no hint as to the injury status of quarterback Gio Lopez or who might start this weekend. Max Johnson played well and moved the offense late in the game, but we probably won’t know who starts until game time.

We do know who Charlotte’s starting quarterback will be, though: Former UNC dual-threat quarterback Conner Harrell, who transferred during the offseason.

I’m also hoping to see a depth chart at some point this season. UNC will list the depth chart here in the Game Notes if one ever materializes.

Poll

Football Recruiting

Dozens of UNC football recruits attended the game, and they had to come away impressed with the environment leading up to the game. It’s never been better. On the other hand, I’d be curious to know how the game’s outcome affected their thinking.

Basketball

On the hardwood, Hubert Davis met with the media on Tuesday and admitted that he’s feeling some pressure entering this season: