Bill Belichick came under fire for his recruiting methods at North Carolina. But his Tar Heels are now one win away from becoming bowl eligible. And are now eyeing pulling off a massive four-star recruiting win before facing Louisville on Saturday.
Ironically, this blue chip offensive star shares previous ties with a past Belichick assistant from his New England Patriots days.
Who North Carolina is Trying to Win Over
Rivals national recruiting insider Brandon Huffman unveiled a list of eye-grabbing recruiting visitors for Veterans Day weekend. Included is former Washington pledge in quarterback Blake Roskopf.
Ironically, Roskopf once was verbally committed to Jedd Fisch of the Huskies. The same Fisch who served as quarterbacks coach for the Pats in 2020 when Belichick led the Pats.
“The longtime Washington commit opened his recruitment last week, almost seven months after he initially pledged to the Huskies,” Huffman wrote. “The Goodyear (Ariz.) Desert Edge four-star, though, had the Tar Heels as his runner-up.”
But Huffman adds that it’s not Belichick leading the charge here. But a coach Roskopf previously connected with before that assistant landed at Chapel Hill.
Who is Recruiting the 4-Star QB From Bill Belichick’s Staff
Huffman revealed offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino nearly landed him at Arkansas. Now Petrino is leading UNC’s offense, and clearly stayed in touch with Roskopf.
“So now Roskopf heads to Chapel Hill to see the Tar Heels against Louisville and the Navy All-American Bowl participant could finally push the Tar Heels from runner-up to future school,” Huffman added.
UNC, Belichick and Petrino would land the state of Arizona’s No. 2 overall prospect for the 2027 class per Rivals. But only if the Tar Heels complete the flip attempt after the Louisville showdown.
4-Star QB Compared to Past NFL MVP by High School Coach
Roskopf stands at a towering 6-foot-5 and is close to 230-pounds, which is abnormal for a high school quarterback. So Belichick and UNC could be going after a QB who comes with a prototypical NFL mold.
But Roskopf’s high school coach Henri MacArthur told Don Callahan of On3 that he sees a lot of a past Belichick rival in Roskopf’s game.
“[Roskopf] is almost Josh Allen-ish,” MacArthur said to On3. “He’s really, really big. Has an incredibly special arm and the ability to make any throw from anywhere on the field.”
MacArthur adds that Roskopf is a strong and physical runner too. But rarely takes off unless he’s pressured. So UNC could land a runner too if Roskopf comes over to Chapel Hill by 2027.
North Carolina’s Recruiting Outlook
Once again Belichick hasn’t delivered the most impressive recruiting results. The Heels sit at 46th nationally per On3/Rivals Industry Rankings for the 2027 cycle. UNC ranks lower per 247Sports, sitting at No. 50 overall.
North Carolina boasts just one four-star pledge in wide receiver Amare Patterson from Bluffton, South Carolina. But adding Roskopf can hand him an intriguing QB to work with.
Plus potentially boost UNC’s recruiting ranking in the process.
North Carolina Attempting to Recruit 4-Star With Ties to Past Bill Belichick Assistant