Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - EXPOSED: Bill Belichick's UNC Experiment FALTERING Already | Is the NFL Legend OVERMATCHED?

Starting point is 00:00:00 The North Carolina Tar Heels have reportedly found their next quarterback in the transfer portal in Gio Lopez. This opens the door for some hot takes. You are Locked-on ACCC, your daily podcast on the Atlantic Coast Conference. Part of the Locked-on Podcast Network, your team, Every Day. Shout out to the Everydayers, and thank you so much for making Lockdown ACC your first listen and your first watch today. We're available free wherever you get your podcast. We're free on YouTube. We're part of the Locked-on podcast network, your team every day.

Starting point is 00:00:39 Today's episode is brought to you by Fanduel. Right now, new customers can get $250 in bonus bets when your first $5 bet wins. On this episode, I think we jinxed Cal last night because we were talking in yesterday's episode about how they were down four running backs in the portal in 24 hours. But hey, at least they still have JV on Thomas, right? Not so much. We'll talk about, you know, what kind of guardrails can be put up or should have been put up in this crazy transfer portal in NIL era that we're in. But let's start with the North Carolina Tar Heels, Kenton.

Starting point is 00:01:20 You know, I think it was probably pretty apparent throughout spring football that UNC didn't really have a true starting quarterback. I think that was a need that Bill Belichick and his general manager, Michael Lombardi, have identity. identified, you know, UNC, you know, before the transfer portal even opened. They were very briefly linked to Nico coming out of Tennessee. Nico has reportedly about to land with UCLA, by the way. So it looks like that's happening. So that's no longer an ACC story, I guess. But the guy that looks like is going to be a tar heel is Gio Lopez.

Starting point is 00:01:58 You haven't heard that name before. I don't blame you because I don't know how much South Alabama football are fans, watching out there. I mean, I know Kenton is a big South Alabama Jaguars fan. I don't know how many others we have out there. And listen to, Gio Lopez, I'm not going to, you know, completely downplay this because I think he's one of the better G5 quarterbacks available. He has had some issues, Kenton staying on the field healthy, which I think is why he only threw for 2,500 yards last season, 18 touchdowns five interceptions. But, you know, when it comes to all the razzle-dazzle of the coaching hire and the GM, am I down playing Gio Lopez too much? Is he like the next great power

Starting point is 00:02:44 four quarterback? Am I not giving him enough credit? I mean, he, I'll say this. Lopez has been a dynamic player both through the air and with his legs. We got to give Gio Lopez the respect that when he's healthy, he's good. And like we saw with Tyler Shuck, if you have a quarterback whisper, all of a sudden, they can start to look a lot better. But also, like we saw with Tyler Scho, you can try to change, but that's just the top player. Homie, you was who you was when you got here. There are certain things that are kind of, you know, if you have health problems, getting behind, quick question, Donald, who's going to be USC's running back next year?

Starting point is 00:03:22 You know? I know it's not going to be a Marion Hampton. Okay. Quick question. any offensive linemen of note over there, any offensive linemen that come to mind and show like, oh, this is an all-conference performer. This is a guy that I know

Starting point is 00:03:37 it's going to be playing on Sundays. No. So you combine a team that objectively got hit pretty hard by the portal and shout out to Riley native Bo, Ackington, still being hit by the portal. You know, you combine that with the quarterback who's had health issues. I don't think that that's a marriage. that's necessarily destined for success.

Starting point is 00:04:01 Yeah. Yeah. And North Carolina is also, you know, you were telling me off air that they're also losing edge rusher, Braylon Charles. He's entering the transfer portal as of last night, 6 foot 4, 270 pound edge. That's the other side of the football, of course, but that's another playmaker that North Carolina is losing. And it's like, you know, to be fair to the other side of this, because I know North

Starting point is 00:04:28 Carolina fans. They already don't like you, Kenton, for obvious reasons. Now they're not going to like me either. They're not going to like me either for raising this question. So let me also give the other side of it, right? It does feel a little bit unfair to be judging the Bill Belichick era in April because I know part of the mystique and the magic of the hoodie is that he is such an accomplished game day coach, right, that he is going, he's put together this staff that he loves so much that they're going to be able to develop and maximize the players that they have. And we should not judge until September, but here we are judging in April. But on the flip side of that, when it comes to just, you know, all of the hype that they're

Starting point is 00:05:13 trying to produce in Chapel Hill, when you start calling yourself the 33rd NFL team, which is like, it's such a shameless marketing thing, but, you know, that's out there. And it, you know, doesn't like they've got a decently ranked transfer portal class. They're in the top 15, but it's mostly quantity over quality. Same thing with their recruiting class. And it's still early. I think they have the 12th ranked 2026 recruiting class in the country, but they have a lot of commits.

Starting point is 00:05:42 I think 13 verbal commits. Only one of them is a four star, a lot of three stars after that. So I don't know. I think some people may be expected now that you've got Belichick and you've got an accomplished former NFL GM and Mike Lombardi there, that guys are just going to be five stars, transfers and recruits are going to be lining up for miles. They're going to be lining up from Charlotte to Chapel Hill to go play there. It doesn't feel like that's really the case so far. They haven't really, they haven't really disrupted college football yet.

Starting point is 00:06:13 The mythology of who Bill Belichick is is just that. It's mythology. A lot of it is a myth. Let's be honest about what we saw from Bill Belichick last time he was a head coach. How did that go? How did that go? Very seriously. Was he this genius that somehow made, oh, yeah, we've got this quarterback from Alabama that everybody says physically he doesn't have the tools.

Starting point is 00:06:42 But he's a winner. And, you know, last time he got with a quarterback who didn't have all the tools, but he was a winner. winner. What happened? How'd that end? How'd that story in? Second time, not so well. And here's the thing. I'm not saying this because this is a guy at UNC. I would say the same thing. If he was at Miami, if he was at NC State, I would be, oh, wolf, wolf, I don't want to see that. But in all seriousness, this is a coach that we have built up and kind of idolized and put on this mountain up. He can win with anybody. I'm sorry to tell you, it's never about your exes and you're O's. It's your Larry's and your Joe's. Even if you look at those great Patriots teams,

Starting point is 00:07:24 how many of them win Super Bowls without veterans taking sweetheart deals? Without guys who were mentioned as derelicts taking amazing deals. Randy Moss had one foot out the league. Oh, he's a terrible player. And then all of a sudden, he's a record-breaking receiver again. Rodney Harrison, superstar with the Chargers, took a sweetheart deal to go over there. Because he was like, I want to win. It helps you win. Doing your say out, God rest his soul. Same deal.

Starting point is 00:07:55 So we can sit here and talk about, oh, you know, you saw the 30 for 30, the two bills. That was in the 80s, man. Lawrence Taylor was a player when that was happening. The great UNC Tarhill himself. It was a player when Bill Belichick was this guy that was scheming up things that nobody ever seen before. It's too late. It's too late. That ship has sailed.

Starting point is 00:08:22 That ballgame is over. The book is out. And again, I just don't think that I don't think that I've seen anything from Bill Bonecheck to indicate, hey, he's going to be a massive success right off the back, especially with the turmoil behind the scenes that's been covered by the athletic that's already seeping out of Chapel Hill.

Starting point is 00:08:41 It's a marriage that's already off with a shaky start before you even play the snap. Hopefully. He can be the guy that he says, or hopefully he is the guy that many people remember. Because if not, this is not just me dislike in Carolina. This is me with my ACC head on. It's going to be a bad time when the nation loses respect and they don't have a likable head coach. At least Matt Brown was likable. Same as you want about the guy.

Starting point is 00:09:07 He was fun. He was political. He was likable. Bill Belichick is not that. So you need to win or else. Yeah, no, a thousand percent. And listen, again, I don't want to. I feel like we've been very disrespectful to Gio Lopez.

Starting point is 00:09:21 I hope he goes and he balls out because he seems like a good dude and electrifying player. You mentioned the dual threat capabilities. I mentioned his passing stats were, you know, 2,500 yards, 18 touchdowns, five interceptions, but also ran for 465 yards and scored seven touchdowns on the ground. So we shall see. It's just not necessarily the big name poll that we thought maybe Belichick and company could have at North Carolina. that's all. Now, a team that's really going to need to bring in a lot of bodies in the transfer portal. And like, if they don't bring in like three running backs at least, I don't have to be able to field a team next year.

Starting point is 00:10:00 What is going on out in Berkeley? We'll tell you when we come back, you want to keep it locked right here on this brand new episode of Lockdowne ACC. Oh, I already know you're keeping it locked. It's a fan duel. The NBA playoffs are almost here. I got play in action tonight from Miami Heat. You know I've got fan dual picks for that one. is giving new customers an incredible way to get in on the action. Right now, when you join Fandual and place your first $5 bet, you'll get $250 in bonus bets if your bet wins. Guys, I love how Fandual makes betting so easy, whether it's picking my favorite team or diving into player props.

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Starting point is 00:11:12 I host Lockdown Keynes talking everything Miami Hurricanes. Miami lost a couple more young guys into the transfer portal today. receiver, Nye Car, edge rusher, Elias, Rudolph. So you have transfer portal exits taking place around the country. Kenton and Grayson Boone do an awesome job hosting locked on Wolfpack. They're keeping you covered with all things, transfer portal there as well. You know, we don't have a locked on Cal, but I feel like if anybody out there wants to jump on and host that show, there's plenty to talk about right now.

Starting point is 00:11:45 So, you know, Kenton, I think we may have jinxed Cal. yesterday because, you know, we were talking about all the running backs that they've lost over the past 48 hours, right? They had lost Jaden Ott, who's one of our favorites, just an electrifying player. They lost Justin Williams, Thomas, which was probably the guy who played the least in that running back room. Byron Cardwell, though, one of their top rushers, Cadarius Callaway. But at least last night we were saying, hey, at least Javion Thomas isn't going anywhere, who was their leading rusher last year. and then on Wednesday, J. Vion Thomas jumps into the transfer portal. The Golden Bears have lost five running backs in 48 hours, Kent.

Starting point is 00:12:30 How many did, I think they have one scholarship running back left, by the way. Just one. Well, get ready to learn some running shoot, boys. Call up old Kendraffield, who, by the way, I'm not joking and saying that facetiously. I think the word of Kendraffield, I think he's a wonderful running back former NC State Give him a call. You need something. You need something at this point because, I mean, unless you're going to be, again,

Starting point is 00:12:55 running shoot, full on, empty, bringing out your best impersonation of Steve Spurrier, you are going to need a ton of helping the running back room. Donna, quick question. Can you name one running back that they have that still on scholarship? No, I saw it earlier today on a tweet. and I already forgot. Can you give me any rushing stats from that young man from last year? Of course you can.

Starting point is 00:13:25 The point is... I was going to make some up, but keep going. I don't know. But that's my point. That's my point here, right? And again, Dono, you and I are both junkies for this type of stuff. We are both guys who are football lifers. We watch the game.

Starting point is 00:13:41 We studied the game. Both of our teams played Cal last year. So we had to do it. breakdowns of, hey, these are the guys that matter for Cal, these are the guys are going to be problematic. Every single guy that from a running, running back standpoint, we mentioned, it's gone. It's gone. Everybody was saying, oh, we don't care. We don't care. And listen, I got plugged into the Calgary rhythm. I love it there. They're great fans. They're great fans. I really do. Cal football fans are the best. All throughout the Cal

Starting point is 00:14:13 all throughout the Calgary, what I kept hearing was, oh, JV on's better anyway. Oh, we're good. We got Jamie. Oh, Jay Beyond's here. We're okay. You're not. You are in fact not okay anymore. He is not there anymore. This is, oh, man. Are you looking so, let me just, for the audio list. Yeah. This is, I don't know who this Twitter or X user is, but I just, I just found this. And it's like, wow, you talk about ironic, famous last words. So this was posted 12 days ago by part of the Calorism, Romero West Coast, who says Cal has a top tier running back room, not only in the ACC conference, but the entire nation. Don't sleep on the California Golden Bears running backs this season.

Starting point is 00:15:00 Jaden Odd and I think J.V.On Thomas are the two that are pictured there. And yeah, so you talk about the unfortunate timing. Twelve days ago, we're flexing our running back room. now. And the thing is, Romero wasn't wrong. Shout out to Romero West Coast, because when you think about that duo, you did have,

Starting point is 00:15:21 you had a guy that averaged six yards last year in the leading rusher. And then you had Jay Knott, who objectively, one of the most explosive players returning to college football, who was badly hampered by injury last year. But we know what he can do when healthy.

Starting point is 00:15:41 We've seen it. And now both of them, hey, one of them's going to be in Norman, Oklahoma, which, by the way, you talk about the adjustment of lifestyle, going from Berkeley, California to Norman, Oklahoma. Ooh, what an adjustment. And then, you know, your leading rusher gets into portal, too. I mean, how? Romero West Coast, shout out to you, brother.

Starting point is 00:16:03 But this is, those are some famous last word. Those are some tough. It's like the quote, a shit not even God can sink about the Titanic. It was until it was. Yeah, and well, let me give like part of this from the Cal perspective. And I'm like, I'm not saying they wanted to lose J. V. on Thomas and J.D. Not. Obviously, you don't. But, you know, they did have sweeping changes in coaching on the offensive side of the football.

Starting point is 00:16:32 And, you know, Kenton, their new offensive coordinator is Brian Harsen. and if there are any Auburn fans listening to this, you're loudly cursing his name right now. And there's not too many, not too many Harsen fans in that part of the world. And yeah, you know, I was chatting about all this turnover. I was chatting earlier today with our guy,

Starting point is 00:16:53 Brian Smith, Smitty from the portal podcast. And I'm like, so why are they losing all this guys? He said, well, hey, Brian Harson is their new offensive coordinator. And my response was, well, what? Is he rubbing guys the wrong way? or is he trying to clear out his roster? And the answer was yes.

Starting point is 00:17:10 Like it's both of those things are happening. Like, you know, I think guys are making decisions about their future. And then maybe Harsen also wants to go and handpick a lot of his guys in the portal. But again, I'm not saying they wanted to lose J.Nodd and J. Vion Thomas. That's obviously not the case. But, you know, maybe Harson partially likes the idea of having the opportunity to go and bring in a bunch of guys on his side of the ball. Here's my only problem with that. Why would you hire a coordinator from a school

Starting point is 00:17:44 that you beat because their quarterback could not stop finding wide open cow bear defenders? Why is that the guy? He didn't coach the defense. No, he did not coach the defense. No, no, no, no. He does specifically, anyway. That, hold up. Actually, I did. He, he, he wasn't. He wasn't. He wasn't. He wasn't there when they, when they meet him, though. Okay. Yeah, he wasn't there. He wasn't there. Yeah, he wasn't there.

Starting point is 00:18:12 Hey, Cal fans. I'm sorry. Hey, my bad. I was about to say, I could not believe that. But I will say this. I will say this. You have to know where you're at. You have to be aware of who you are and where you are.

Starting point is 00:18:27 If you clean house at Cal, and by the way, one of the rooms that I think is one of their most talented, if not their most talented position. what's the replacement? What are you going to come up with that you're like, oh, this is exponentially better than what we have. I know for a fact. Because we now have cleaned out all these guys, we can get better. I can understand if you're in a spot where you know for a fact,

Starting point is 00:18:51 hey, getting rid of these guys and replace them with better, it's nothing. It's, oh, this position is objectively a weakness on our offense. We can do better tomorrow. We can go get some Juko guys. Go get me some last chance of you. boys and will be better. That Cal running back room was not one of those. Yeah, but also, and also to be fair to Cal, you know, this era is so crazy. I mean, Jaden Ott very quickly hit the portal and gets automatically linked to Oklahoma.

Starting point is 00:19:21 Like, you know, I know you like to put the whole, with the whole tampering thing, you like to focus in on, on, you know, a team that I may or may not cover. But, yeah, it seems like there may have been some of that going on in Norman, Oklahoma with Jaden Odd, okay? This era. Anybody who says that there's only one team that tamper's, your team just ain't doing it enough. I saw that. That's all that. We've seen it.

Starting point is 00:19:46 We've seen. Who among us hasn't seen it? I will admit out here in the public, before Noah Rogers was even in the transfer portal at Ohio State, when I heard that he wasn't liking the code up there. I immediately start firing up the memes and whatnot about how he needs. to come back to North Carolina and about how Ohio is a secondary state, which it is. I mean, ill, who wants to live there? It's a terrible.

Starting point is 00:20:12 I've never heard anybody say anything good about the state of Ohio outside of the Buckeyes and LeBron Jane. So, yeah, I would admit that as somebody who didn't have any financial things to offer, Noah Rogers, I immediately said, hey, let's help on the phone. And I had heard some things about some people putting some things out there, not from NC State, not from the coaches, but I heard some things about some people being in his ear to get them to come back. So I'm not going to sit here and play like, oh, my school is innocent. And we would never and da-da-da-da-da-da. Everybody school is doing it.

Starting point is 00:20:46 And if you complain about it, you're just not good at it. Yeah, exactly. Yep. Right. Bingo. Bingo. Now, I would like to ask you, you know, is someone who played, like, you played right before the NIL transfer portal era, you did tell me you're going to get like a few bucks from the house settlement.

Starting point is 00:21:03 So we'll see. Well, we got to make sure that passes first. But I would like to know your thoughts on just the pure chaos. And if there's anything that can be done, you want to keep it locked right here, my friends. We're not done yet on this brand new Lockdown ACC. Thank you for making Lockdown ACC your first listen and your first watch today. If your next listen, make sure you check out our guy, Spencer McLaughlin on Lockdown

Starting point is 00:21:32 college football. He's been rocking it, right? I mean, transfer portal season. This is we all shine this time of year, right? whether it's locked on Wolfpack, locked on Cains, the portal podcast with Brian Smith, locked on college football with Spencer McLaughlin. So, yeah, I mean, listen, I'm sure that the Calgarytham can get behind this

Starting point is 00:21:51 and with all the guys that they're losing in the transfer portal, Kenton. I mean, and you and I, we've said this a hundred times, and believe me, we mean it. I know Kenton means it because he played right before the NIL era. Like, I am fully supportive of players making. money and I'm probably more adaptable to this area than a lot of other. Like I'm not like the old man sitting on his porch. Like this is, I remember when they were amateurs, the players should make nothing.

Starting point is 00:22:20 Like I'm, I'm not that guy. But when it comes to, you know, a big difference between college football and the NFL, NFL, NFL, when they have multi-year contracts, collected bargaining agreements, you know, the teams just have a little bit more control. In college, not only do you have players jump to different programs sometimes every single year, But sometimes you'll bring in a player in December and then he leaves again in April. Like it's happening a lot around the country. There's a Mackay Bayer, a linebacker who left Nebraska from Missouri in April, left

Starting point is 00:22:53 Missouri. He's already signed with a neck. I can't remember which program he's already signed. He's already found a new program in April. Like this is, I mean, do you believe, Kenton, that there needs to be some regulation and guardrails? And it is even, is it even possible for the NCAA to do that at this point? the NCAA can do that but here's how they have to do it give the 99% power to cut the legs from under the 1%. Here's what you're doing for the NCAA.

Starting point is 00:23:19 Hey players, all of you, come together, come to us. All of you get representatives to represent you all and we will collectively bargain with you. When we come up with the collective bargaining agreement, you cannot say, oh, I want more. I won't let I don't do this or that. Your players agree to this. And any player coming into the collective bargaining agreement, again, if you pass it with common sense rules, right, we don't go back to the days where,

Starting point is 00:23:52 oh, do you, are you wearing Oregon gloves? Did you pay for those gloves? Did you pay for those Miami gloves? I know that it's cool to do the you on the sideline with it showing in your gloves, but did you pay for those? as long as we keep it with basic common sense rules, right? I know players, a lot of players are getting paid to go on visits, all that stuff.

Starting point is 00:24:13 Sure. Keep that, you know, it's just like a company. If you're one of the best in the world at any job, people are going to pay you to entice you to come to their company. They're going to do that type of thing. I've seen it firsthand. So keep common sense rules, let everybody come to the table. Because guess what? Like I said, Nico, even with the everything underperforming, whatever the case may be,

Starting point is 00:24:37 he was a 1% of 1% in terms of his NIL deals, in terms of his value. People are now saying, oh, Carson Beck didn't actually get paid $4 million or whatever. Whatever the hell he did get paid, it's probably more than what Nico was making. But guess what? He's a 1% of 1% of him. Proctor, who went from Alabama to Iowa back to Alabama without ever playing a game for Iowa. he's a 1% of 1% of 1% you know who's not 1%

Starting point is 00:25:04 of 1%ers the entire Iowa football team none of them fit in that category so they can stop things like that from ever happening the NCAA's hope and choice is that and sure you'll get some rogue kids who say

Starting point is 00:25:20 well I am a 1% and I should have made I should have gotten the Bryce Underwood contract I should have gotten this I shouldn't have gotten that do you know how easy that is to quell when you say, hey, this young man opted in to the collective bargaining agreement. And in the collective bargaining agreement, there are certain things that are put in place to allow one percenters to make all the money.

Starting point is 00:25:42 There are just guardrails around them negotiating during the season. There are guardrails around them and their ability to hold out or withhold their labor. Like, to me, the thing, what killed the NCAA's ability to control anything was them squeezing too tight. what can save their ability to put in some type of guardrails now is instead of choking the life out of the players and pretending like Terrell Prior is a bad guy for getting some tattoos, instead of doing that, we can now say, hey, come to the table, let's collectively bargain, let's stop playing like you all are amateurs. because again, me and Dono, having a locked-on-five tournament where every conference that has the squad, our main guys who show up, got to play against each other

Starting point is 00:26:33 in lifetime fitness, that's amateurism. What's not amateurism is the NCAA tournament, both of you by fan, do it. That's not amateurism. The Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, that's not amateurism. That's something entirely different. you know and i know that there are uh it would not fix all of this or maybe even most of it but i know that there are some hopes that like the the house settlement can take some of this craziness away and

Starting point is 00:27:00 and i want to in our next episode we're going to devote more time into the latest on the house settlement and you know kenton the last time we talked about it two three weeks ago you know you remember uh claudia wilkin the judge you know told the uh the plaintiff lawyers all the lawyers like hey i i want to see changes to certain things, including roster limits, right? And then we said it back then. Do not, like, these lawyers did not sound like they were in a position to make the changes that the judge was asking for. They had another hearing on it earlier today.

Starting point is 00:27:38 And as Stuart Mandel posts, the parties in the House case filed their response to Judge Wilkins' concerns last night. Okay, so this is, there's not a new hearing. They filed this. very few changes and none at all regarding roster limits. So now the new debate has become, is the judge going to approve this? Because she needs to. Like, she's got final say on whether this can go into effect.

Starting point is 00:28:02 And if she told them, like, I really need you guys to make certain changes. They didn't make the changes. How do we know the judges can actually approve it? And I want them to approve it because I want Kenton to get paid. So we got to make this happen, man. Listen, I want me to get paid, my landlord, Duke Energy, gee, all the United States. We ain't going to go ahead to all that.

Starting point is 00:28:20 But no, in all seriousness, this is a situation where a lot of people, for a lot of reasons, are sitting on pins and needles kind of anticipating and waiting for what's going to happen here because this is big time stuff. So whether or not the necessary changes were made for the judge to go ahead about this, that's a vital importance. And again, Donald and I have some pretty big updates for you on our next episode about that. Yeah, no, no doubt. Well, we appreciate everyone tuning in making Lockdown ACC, your first listen and your first watch today.

Starting point is 00:28:46 Make sure you subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, make sure you subscribe on YouTube. We'll talk to again on another episode of Lockdown ACCC. We are part of the awesome Lockdown Podcast Network. Your team every day.

Locked On ACC - Daily College Football & Basketball Podcast - EXPOSED: Bill Belichick's UNC Experiment FALTERING Already | Is the NFL Legend OVERMATCHED?

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