Transfer portal whiff shows even the Bill Belichick Factor might not be enough at UNC

When North Carolina made the stunning decision to lure Bill Belichick from the NFL to the college ranks, part of the pitch was that the six-time Super Bowl champion would grant the Heels instant credibility on the recruiting trail. And early on in Belichick's tenure, that theory appeared to be proving true: Four different UNC players who had put their name in the transfer portal opted to stay in Chapel Hill instead, and Belichick scored major wins with both Washington transfer linebacker Khmori House and four-star high school quarterback Bryce Baker.

But while Belichick's resume appears to be resonating with recruits so far, this week brought a reminder that even arguably the greatest football coach of all-time isn't a cure-all. Belichick's rings count for a lot, and his Rolodex is as deep and star-studded as anyone's, but he can only do so much to overcome the financial and structural realities of the college game right now.

Not even a call from Tom Brady could make John Mateer consider Bill Belichick, North Carolina

One of the biggest fish in the transfer portal pond this winter was former Washington State QB John Mateer, who elected to leave the Cougars after his offensive coordinator, Ben Arbuckle, was poached by Oklahoma. A true dual threat, Mateer immediately became the most sought-after signal-caller in the portal, and while the Sooners figured to have the inside track to land him, it wasn't long before a full-on bidding war broke out.

It turns out that UNC was among the programs to enter that war, and Belichick and the Heels put on the full-court press. We know that North Carolina's NIL bag got a big boost when Belichick came aboard, and according to a new report from 247Sports, he was willing to call in a few favors:

"A few weeks later, Mateer found himself on FaceTime with Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski as the NFL legends helped new coach Bill Belichick recruit Mateer."

Seven figures in NIL money? Check. Multiple future NFL Hall of Famers pitching in? Check. And yet, after all that, it still wasn't enough, as Mateer wound up committing to Oklahoma anyway. Which has to be a blow to UNC fans who had big dreams about Belichick's ability to turn the Heels into a nationally prominent program: You can have everything in your corner, from one of the most respected football minds currently living to the best quarterback in the history of the sport, and it still might not be enough.

Of course, none of this dooms Belichick to failure; his tenure is still just weeks old, and he seems to know what he's doing and have a plan in place. But the world of big-time college football recruiting is entirely different from anything Belichick has encountered before, and his old rules for success may not apply.