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Bill Belichick secured his first big recruit on Saturday.
Quarterback Bryce Baker, a four-star Rivals.com recruit 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 he had yet to sign 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 on 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.
“Their experience in the NFL is huge,” Baker said. “They’ve been on the level that 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 get to my goals. I feel like [Belichick] will bring in the right pieces to build around me. They’re going to make me a priority.”
Baker, a 6-foot-2 quarterback out of Kernersville, North Carolina, is the No. 7-ranked 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 that he will enroll at North Carolina in January. Only two others in the recruiting class — four-star defensive end Austin Alexander and three-star running back Demon June Jr. — are still unsigned.
Belichick, after winning six Super Bowls with Tom Brady and the Patriots, officially agreed to take over for Mack Brown at North Carolina earlier this week. The 72-year-old will now attempt to lead a program that has largely been overshadowed by its basketball team and has just 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, for starters — he’s already won over perhaps his most important recruit.
“I have to trust that he’ll bring in the right pieces and the right staff to help me out as far as having success,” Baker said. “I want to get developed and be as prepared as possible so when the opportunity comes, I’m ready to seize it … He was very poised and very knowledgeable. He had long answers explaining the terminology … They’re going to be bringing in more top guys. They’re going to go after the best coaches. And they’re going to get more disciplined on and off the field.”
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