Michael Lombardi details UNC football recruiting, philosophy, QB situation under Bill Belichick

Posted by author February 13, 2025 Football

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Michael Lombardi, UNC’s general manager, emphasizes building a strong team by prioritizing the offensive and defensive lines.
The team is still searching for a starting quarterback after Drake Maye’s departure, with several contenders vying for the position.
UNC has produced two first-team All-ACC linemen in the last 10 seasons

CHAPEL HILL — Michael Lombardi’s football philosophy predates his time with Bill Belichick.

Lombardi, UNC football’s 65-year-old general manager, and Belichick share the same belief in what it takes to build a winner as they embark on a journey to help the Tar Heels compete at a national level.

But a task from legendary San Francisco 49ers coach Bill Walsh – and the conversation that followed – created a mindset that would influence Lombardi throughout his three decades in the NFL, including two Super Bowl-winning seasons he spent with Belichick and the New England Patriots.

When Lombardi joined the 49ers as a scout in 1984, Walsh asked him to write a report on three players: Al Toon, Eddie Brown and Jerry Rice.

“When (Walsh) asked me to write that report, he said, ‘We are now finally in position to go get a big-time receiver, because the team’s really good around them,’” Lombardi said Tuesday inside the Kenan Football Center.

“And I asked him, ‘What do you mean by that?’ And he said, ‘Well, we can get the ball to a great player now, because we’re good in both lines.’ And that’s impacted me my whole life. We’re in the mock (NFL) draft season on TV. You’ll see 42 receivers going in the first round, as if everybody forgot about how the (Philadelphia) Eagles won the Super Bowl.”

Bill Belichick, UNC football focused on recruiting offensive, defensive linemen

Michael Lombardi is UNC football’s de facto spokesperson, but his message centers around how Belichick wants to build the Tar Heels’ roster.

“I think this program is built on the vision and the identity of the greatest coach of all time,” Lombardi said.

“I’m fortunate enough to have worked for him for a long time, but philosophically, we come from the same school, and that school is about building a team inside out. That school is about physical and mental toughness. That school is about dependable and hard-working players.”

Six freshmen signed with UNC prior to Belichick’s arrival in mid-December, but the Tar Heels added 21 players in late January and 19 more by National Signing Day on Feb. 5. More roster changes are likely when the spring transfer portal opens in April.

Of the 46 new players on UNC’s 2025 roster, 19 are offensive and defensive linemen. Ahead of their final season with Mack Brown, the Tar Heels brought in 13 linemen as part of their 2024 haul, including returning starters Aidan Banfield and Austin Blaske on the offensive line.

Defensively, UNC returns Beau Atkinson, who led the Heels with 7 ½ sacks. Still, there’s work to be done at building depth on both sides of the ball.

In 2024, UNC was 99th nationally in sacks allowed (33) and 106th in tackles for loss allowed (84). Defensively, the Tar Heels were seventh in sacks (41) and 46th in tackles for loss (78), but those numbers disguised a unit that was 72nd in total defense.

In the last 10 seasons, UNC has produced two first-team All-ACC linemen: Landon Turner (2015) and Willie Lampkin (2024). The last time the Tar Heels won an ACC championship (1980), they had three first-team All-ACC selections in the trenches: offensive lineman Ron Wooten, along with defensive linemen Lawrence Taylor and Donnell Thompson.

“I think what we learned watching the Super Bowl is the same thing we’ve learned before watching the Super Bowl: that teams that can control the offensive and defensive line win games,” Lombardi said.

“And so from a team-building standpoint, that’s what we said we were going to do in December. We’re going to build a team inside out, and that’s what we’re going to continue to do, and so part of my job is to maintain that philosophy.”

UNC football quarterback situation under Bill Belichick

Aside from improving its overall production in the trenches, UNC enters the Bill Belichick era without a proven starter at quarterback.

Following the departure of Drake Maye, the Tar Heels had five players take snaps under center in the 2024 season. Jacolby Criswell, Conner Harrell and Michael Merdinger entered the transfer portal. Caleb Hood, who threw a touchdown pass in the 2024 Fenway Bowl, is a running back.

Max Johnson, a Texas A&M transfer who broke his leg as UNC’s starting QB in the 2024 opener, could return, but there have been no updates on his status as it relates to the 2025 roster.

UNC currently has four QBs prepared to join Belichick in his debut season. Purdue transfer Ryan Brown headlines the group, followed by freshmen Bryce Baker, Au’tori Newkirk and Gary Merrill.

When asked if the Week 1 starter is on the current roster, Lombardi said his focus is on the present.

“I can’t even imagine Week 1. I’m trying to get through Week 5 of the offseason. Everything comes down to everything matters. … So I think we’ve got some really good players that are working hard that we’ve brought in,” Lombardi said.

“Some of them aren’t here yet, some of them are injured, and everybody’s going to get a fair opportunity.”

Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to rbaxley@fayobserver.com.