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North Carolina football is less than two weeks away from opening summer camp ahead of its second season under seven-time Super Bowl-winning coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick led the Tar Heels to a 4-8 record in his first season in Chapel Hill, but a series of starters off the field largely overshadowed the team.
The controversy raged through the offseason, apparently causing at least one prominent UNC football alumnus to forego attending games in person when the 2026 season begins this fall.
Marquise Williams, who earned All-ACC honors during his four years at UNC, announced his plan to skip games this year.
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Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels warms up before a game against the Clemson Tigers at Bank of America Stadium on December 5, 2015, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
“I will not be attending any UNC football games this year!” Williams wrote Thursday on X. “The things I’m hearing, man, I never would have thought.” He added a broken heart emoji, but didn’t elaborate on what exactly put him off.
Williams still lives in North Carolina and serves as the quarterbacks coach at Louisburg College. He ranks sixth on UNC’s all-time passing yards list.
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While Williams’ exact reasoning remains unclear, much of the talk surrounding the show has focused on Belichick, 73, and his 24-year-old girlfriend, Jordon Hudson.
Marquise Williams of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks to pass against the North Carolina State Wolfpack during a game at Carter-Finley Stadium on November 28, 2015, in Raleigh, North Carolina (Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
During last year’s widely discussed interview on “CBS News Sunday Morning,” Hudson faced accusations that he attempted to exert control during the former NFL coach’s meeting. The interview was part of a promotional tour for Belichick’s new book, “The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football.”
The viral moment raised questions about Hudson’s involvement in both his personal and professional life and whether it could affect football operations.
North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick and Jordon Hudson before a game against the Richmond Spiders at Kenan Memorial Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Lance King/Getty Images)
North Carolina football general manager Michael Lombardi recently addressed the outside scrutiny and criticism surrounding the program last season, defending the team’s response amid what he characterized as inaccurate narratives.
“Throughout those stormy times, through all the time when the ship was capsizing, when people were attacking us with rumors and false stories everywhere (no one has corrected them yet, but it’s okay, we understand), our players stuck together,” Lombardi said on the “Pat McAfee Show” last week.
