Primetime for UNC Football, Seth Trimble's Sweet Move, Basketball & Football Recruiting Visits
Plus: Michael Jordan at Kenan Stadium? Meet Kyan Evans, a basketball reunion, Roy Williams honored, Olympic sports' dominant weekend, and more
The long wait is over. UNC Football kicks off the Bill Belichick era in primetime tonight. Dozens of recruits and commits will be on hand, and maybe Michael Jordan, too. We’ve also got men’s and women’s basketball updates, Seth Trimble’s entrepreneurial venture, Olympic sports news and scores, and more.
Football
It’s finally here. Tonight, Bill Belichick will coach his first game as the Tar Heels’ head football coach, a sentence I never thought I’d write in a million years.
UNC Football historian and GoHeels.com feature writer Lee Pace described what this moment means much better than I could in his recent Extra Points column “On The Clock”…
“The long-awaited season opener happens 262 days after Belichick was hired as the Tar Heels' new coach, bringing a resume that includes 333 total head coaching wins and eight Super Bowl rings (six as the head coach with the New England Patriots and two as defensive coordinator with the New York Giants). Those days have been filled with Belichick hiring a staff of coaches and support personnel; scouting and recruiting a roster that includes 70 new players…“
If you’re having trouble keeping tabs on the newest Tar Heels this football season, be sure to check out the 2025 UNC Football Digital Yearbook, complete with rosters, player and coach bios, records, award winners, and more.
The Tar Heels will begin the Belichick era dressed in appropriately conservative fashion wearing their classic uniform of blue helmets, blue jerseys, and white pants. The UNC Football equipment team even teased us with seeing a custom UNC hoodie for Bill Belichick, cutoff sleeves and all, in the Instagram uniform reveal video below:
Speaking of teases…will we see Michael Jordan in the house Monday night? Per Adam Smith of Inside Carolina, a Jordan appearance has been rumored so stay tuned.
As far as what to expect on the football field, it’s impossible to say. TCU is favored by 3.5 points and brings a high-powered passing attack to Chapel Hill, while the Tar Heels have a completely new roster and coaching staff, albeit led by arguably the greatest football coach of all time. I guess we’ll find out at 8:00 Monday night.
And while UNC Football aspires to the upper echelon of college football, traditional powers Georgia and Alabama’s stadiums are actually modeled after Kenan Stadium, which opened in 1927:
In the NFL, former UNC linebacker/quarterback Chazz Surratt was signed to the Seattle Seahawks’ active roster after being released by the San Francisco 49ers during final roster cutdowns. The Niners may regret that move later this season.
Running back Javonte Williams tops the Dallas Cowboys’ initial depth chart after being traded from Denver during the offseason.
And former Tar Heel wide receiver Antoine Green announced his retirement from football due to a spinal cord injury suffered last year:
Football Recruiting
As for future Tar Heels, class of 2026 commit Aveon Williams put up the biggest numbers among Carolina football recruits this weekend, with three touchdowns, 100-plus receiving yards, and a big-time interception. At 6-foot-6, 230 pounds, and all that athleticism it will be interesting to see how Bill Belichick utilizes him in Chapel Hill.
For other scores and stats, read how all the Carolina football recruits fared this weekend, courtesy of Don Callahan at Inside Carolina.
And here’s the list of UNC football commits and highly rated recruits expected to attend the game:
Travis Burgess (Quarterback Commit)
Amir Brown (Running Back Commit)
Kei’Maurii Miles (Wide Receiver Commit)
Zamaurious Robertson (Wide Receiver Commit)
Skyler Robinson (Wide Receiver Commit)
Carnell Warren (Wide Receiver Commit)
Aidan Woods (Tight End Commit)
Anthony Hall (Offensive Line Commit)
Trashawn Ruffin (Defensive Line Commit)
Zavion Griffin-Haynes (Defensive End Commit)
Jayden Griffin-Haynes (Linebacker Commit)
Lawrence Brown (Linebacker Commit)
David Green (Kicker Commit)
Anthony Roberts (4* Wide Receiver)
Iveon Lewis (4* Wide Receiver)
Dewey Young (4* Offensive Tackle)
Grayson Williams (4* Offensive Lineman)
Quinton Cypher (4* Linebacker)
Xavier Hasan (4* Cornerback)
Marquis Bryant (4* Safety)
Jaxon Dollar (4* Athlete)
Basketball
Football isn’t the only sport full of unknown Tar Heels this season, practically the entire basketball roster has been overhauled, so Jones Angell and Adam Lucas from the Carolina Insider podcast are introducing fans to the newest players. First up is a great interview with Colorado State transfer and new UNC point guard Kyan Evans.
Despite all the new faces, there were plenty of familiar ones back in town this week, including Cormac Ryan, Garrison Brooks, Harrison Ingram, Armando Bacot, RJ Davis, Drake Powell, and more. Adam Lucas wrote a great piece on this group of players called “Family Time.”
Former coach Roy Williams wasn’t in Chapel Hill this week (that I know of), but it was announced that he will receive the North Carolina Award for Public Service on Nov. 13 in Asheville.
And in more off-the-court news, Seth Trimble announced Sunday that he is now the owner of Ben & Jerry’s on Franklin Street. It looks like he’s putting that NIL money to good use by re-investing in the community. Check out his announcement photos below:
“In the recent months, I have been blessed with the opportunity to fulfill one of my many dreams and aspirations of entrepreneurship. I’m extremely grateful to officially be able to say that I am now an owner of the Ben & Jerry’s store on Franklin st 🐄🍦. The main goal is always the main goal, but I’m excited to stamp myself in a different way at this University. I am honored to reinvest in the community that has given so much to me. Go get y’all’s Ben & Jerry’s!“ — Seth Trimble
Meanwhile, Seth’s brother and former UNC forward JP Tokoto is continuing his lengthy and successful overseas basketball career in Hamburg, Germany:
…while Garrison Brooks has been traded to the NBA G League’s Birmingham Squadron, affiliate of the New Orleans Pelicans:
Finally, 2017 national champion Isaiah Hicks has taken his game to South Korea this season. Isaiah and his wife also have been diving more into social media, releasing a new YouTube channel called “Hoops with Hicks.” In Episode 1, the two discuss Hicks’ basketball journey from Roxboro, N.C. to Chapel Hill to the global stage:
Basketball Recruiting
The parade of 5-star basketball recruits visiting Chapel Hill continues this weekend with the official visits of 5-star forward Toni Bryant and 5-star point guard Deron Rippey, Jr.
Bryant is also being recruited heavily by NC State and Missouri, so the Tar Heels have some competition. However, Rippey once called UNC his dream school, which many consider a jinx, but UNC appears to be a legitimate contender for his commitment.
And here’s the updated list of UNC basketball official visits:
Aug. 1 - Sayon Keita (5-star C)
Aug. 22 - Anthony Thompson (5-star SF)
Aug. 30 - Toni Bryant (5-star PF)
Aug. 31 - Deron Rippey Jr. (5-star PG)
Sept. 5 - Bryson Howard (4-star SF)
Sept. 12 - Tajh Ariza (5-star SF)
Sept. 19 - Cameron Holmes (5-star SF)
Oct. 4 - LJ Smith (4-star CG, unofficial visit)
Oct. 10 - Cole Cloer (4-star SF)
Oct. 31 - Maximo Adams (4-star SF)
Nov. 7 - Cameron Williams (5-star PF)
…and the Updated 2026 UNC Basketball Recruiting Board.
Women’s Basketball
It was a quiet week for UNC Women’s Basketball, but RL Bynum wrote a great feature on the Tar Heels’ Finnish combo guard and UCLA transfer Elina Aarnisalo, who helped lead the Bruins to an upset of South Carolina as a freshman last season.
Baseball
UNC Baseball announced its Fall Schedule this week. The Walters State exhibition and Fall World Series are free and open to the public. Times will be announced at a later date, and I’ll update you when that happens.
Wednesday, Sept. 3 – First official practice
Friday, Oct. 3 – Walters State Exhibition
October 7-9 – Fall World Series
Olympic Sports
It was a perfect 7-0 weekend for Olympic sports.
Men’s Soccer blanked Evansville, 2-0 on Thursday, while Women’s Soccer shut out UNC Greensboro, 4-0, and downed Milwaukee, 4-1, on Sunday.
UNC Volleyball beat Maryland, 3-1, in its season opener and followed that up by beating Coastal Carolina by the same score on Sunday.
No. 2 UNC Field Hockey started fast out of the gate, beating No. 7 Michigan, 3-0, in its 2025 Season Opener and taking down Iowa 4-1 in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.
On a side note, UNC Field Hockey coach Erin Matson spoke with a group of my sister’s high school students during the offseason. One student asked Matson to discuss a failure she experienced and what she learned from it. Matson paused a moment to reflect and basically responded, “I don’t know, I’ve never really failed at anything. Well, I could mention not winning the national championship once.” Matson went 4-1 in national championship games as a player and 1-0 as a coach. GOAT talk! 🐐
This Week’s Tar Heel Birthdays
Happy birthday shoutouts to…
T.J. Logan, UNC/NFL Running Back: Sept. 3 (31)
George Lynch, 1993 NCAA Basketball Champion, 12-year NBA veteran: Sept. 3 (55)
Kevin Madden, UNC Basketball Forward, 1985 McDonald's All-American: Sept. 3 (59)
Brady Manek, UNC Basketball Forward: Sept. 4 (27)
Kevin Madden is now the head basketball coach at his alma mater, Staunton (Va.) High School.
Tar Heel Tidbits
Keep an eye on the TCU sidelines during tonight’s game. Former UNC quarterback Cade Fortin is now an assistant running backs coach at TCU, and former UNC offensive line coach Randy Clements is assistant offensive line coach for the Horned Frogs.
Final Thoughts
I hope everyone is having an incredible Labor Day weekend. And I want to give a sincere thank you to the many of our nearly 1,500 subscribers who have already become paid supporters and helped make this newsletter part of the Substack Best Seller’s list in just its first month.
Go Heels!
James