Last season exposed glaring weaknesses across the North Carolina Tar Heels' roster, and by the end, this program was one of the laughingstocks of college football.
This offseason, the Tar Heels revamped several areas of the roster, adding multiple reinforcements through the transfer portal. One of those rebuilt position groups was the tight end. While addressing the media last week, head coach Bill Belichick highlighted that room.
Nov 29, 2025; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during the second half of the game against NC State Wolfpack at Carter-Finley Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
"That room's been a total makeover. It's a lot of new players, a lot of talented players...," Belichick said. "We had more production from those guys in the spring than we had the entire year last year. It's a position [offensive coordinator] Bobby Petrino and I both crave."
"I've always had good tight ends. It's a very important position for our offense. We weren't able to really get much production there last year. I hope that'll balance us out more this year. Certainly those guys are off to a good start. [Tight Ends] Coach Caleb Pickrell has done a really good job with that group."
Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Colorado State Rams tight end Jaxxon Warren (19) reacts after catching a touchdown pass against the Washington Huskies during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
In 2025, tight end production in North Carolina was essentially non-existent. Former starting quarterback Gio Lopez handcuffed the offense last season, but there are new faces in the building looking to revive that side of the ball for the Tar Heels.
During the transfer portal window, North Carolina invested heavily in the tight end room, acquiring Colorado State transfer Jaxxon Warren, Ohio State transfer Jelani Thurman, and Texas transfer Jordan Washington . The Tar Heels' tight end position is light-years ahead of where it was compared to last season.
Each of these players possesses a distinct skill set, expanding the personnel groupings Petrino can deploy each week. With Petrino emphasizing the run game in 2026, I expect North Carolina to line up in 12 personnel consistently. All three of these tight ends are capable of contributing in the running and passing games, with Warren potentially developing into a star pass-catching option.
As Belichick stated, he always had strong tight end play during his tenure in New England . Obviously, that wasn't the case last season, but the Colorado State product should singlehandedly turn those fortunes around. Nevertheless, North Carolina should see a significant uptick in production from this position group, and Warren has a legitimate case to be the second-leading receiver on this team by the end of the regular season. Fall camp continues to move along.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/unc as Bill Belichick Highlights UNC's Rebuilt Position Group .
