Bill Belichick, UNC Will 'Hit the Ground Running' in ACC Play, Predicts Ravens' Walker

Former North Carolina wide receiver Devontez Walker believes Bill Belichick has the Tar Heels heading in the right direction ahead of their ACC schedule.

Walker, who played at North Carolina in 2023 before being a fourth-round draft pick by the Baltimore Ravens in 2024, told TMZ Sports that his alma mater is "going to hit the ground running when they get to conference play" now that Belichick has had time to figure out his roster (starts at :40 mark).

Saturday will be a good assessment of where Belichick and the Tar Heels currently stand. They will play their first true road game against an opponent from a power four-conference against Central Florida.

Head coach Scott Frost has the Knights off to a 2-0 start, but the wins are over Jacksonville State and North Carolina A&T.

North Carolina has rebounded since its 48-14 loss to TCU in the season opener on Sept. 1. It has won back-to-back games over Charlotte and Richmond by a combined score of 61-9.

After this matchup with UCF, North Carolina has a bye before kicking off ACC play on Oct. 4 against a Clemson team that has been a huge disappointment so far with a 1-2 record.

There's a chance Belichick can have the Tar Heels go on an extended winning streak if they win on Saturday. Their ACC schedule doesn't feature an opponent currently ranked in the Associated Press Top 25.

It was always going to be a feeling-out process for Belichick in his first season coaching at the college level. His staff brought in more than 70 new players to this North Carolina roster between transfers and incoming freshmen.

One hallmark of Belichick's tenure with the New England Patriots was they frequently got better as the season went along. It's still early in the 2025 season, but the 73-year-old has a chance to continue that trend in Chapel Hill.