Bill Belichick got his first big signing on Saturday.
Quarterback Bryce Baker a four-star recruit on Rivals.com and the top-ranked member of North Carolina’s 2025 recruiting class, reaffirmed his commitment to the Tar Heels on Saturday. he told ESPN.
Baker had committed to play at North Carolina in June 2023, but had not yet signed and was still in contact with both Penn State and LSU in recent weeks. But Baker said he was convinced to stick with the program after a phone call with Belichick Thursday night. That phone call came just hours after the longtime New England Patriots head coach was officially introduced as the program’s next head coach.
“His NFL experience is huge,” Baker said. “They’ve been at the level I’m trying to get to. I feel like that separates them from a lot of other schools. They want to develop me and they know the intricacies that will help me reach my goals. I feel like (Belichick) will bring the right pieces to build my around. They’ll make me a priority.”
Baker, a 6-foot-2 quarterback from Kernersville, North Carolina, is the No. 7 quarterback in his class. He threw for 3,099 yards and 36 touchdowns with just four interceptions while leading East Forsyth High School to a 13-1 record this fall.
Baker said he will officially sign with the program next week and will enroll at North Carolina in January. Only two others in the recruiting class… four-star defensive end Austin Alejandro and three star runner Demon June Jr. – are not signed yet.
Belichick, after winning the Super Bowl six times with Tom Brady and the Patriots, officially agreed to replace Mack Brown at North Carolina earlier this week. The 72-year-old will now try to lead a program that has been largely overshadowed by its basketball team and has only one 10-win season since 1997.
While things will be significantly different for Belichick now that he’s working in college (he’s never had to recruit players at this level, let alone in the NIL era, to begin with), he’s already gained perhaps his biggest recruit.
“I have to trust that he will bring in the right pieces and the right personnel to help me be successful,” Baker said. “I want to develop and be as prepared as possible so that when the opportunity comes, I am ready to take advantage of it… I was very prepared and very knowledgeable. I had long answers explaining the terminology… They are going to be They will bring in more top players “They are going to look for the best coaches and become more disciplined on and off the field.”