NFL legend Bill Belichick continues recruiting drive for UNC as he lands the commitment of De La Salle's Jaden Jefferson

By Aman Sharma

Modified Jan 22, 2025 17:11 GMT

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Bill Belichick, the iconic NFL coach who has won six Super Bowls, is carving a new path as head coach of the University of North Carolina football team. On Thursday, he secured the commitment of Jaden Jefferson, a dynamic three-star athlete from De La Salle High School in Concord, California.

Jefferson, a versatile player excelling as both a defensive back and wide receiver, has earned high praise for his athleticism. Standing 5-foot-9 and weighing 160 pounds, Jefferson’s speed is remarkable — he clocked a wind-aided 10.40 seconds in the 100-meter dash during his sophomore year, later finishing fourth at the state meet with a 10.49.

Rated as the No. 43 player in California by 247Sports, Jefferson holds an 88 ranking.

During his junior season, as a cornerback, he had 27 tackles, caused one fumble, and received first-team All-Bay Area recognition from the San Francisco Chronicle. On offense, Jefferson ran 30 times for 344 yards, averaging 11.5 yards per carry, and scored four touchdowns.

Bill Belichick criticizes NFL coaching carousel timing

Bill Belichick voiced his disapproval of the timing of the NFL’s coaching carousel. With 24 seasons as the head coach of the New England Patriots and an NFL-record eight Super Bowl victories Belichick expressed frustration over the impact coaching changes have during the playoffs.

Speaking on the Let’s Go! podcast, he said:

“I’ve never been a big fan of it. I think it’s really unfortunate when you have a team, including the coaches and the coordinators, work so hard all year to get to the playoffs, to have an opportunity to play in conference championships and Super Bowls, and then they’re totally distracted by another team, who was a bad team, who has a coaching change, infringing on that team that’s trying to get to a championship by hiring one of their top coaches."

Recalling his own experience, Belichick shared how he delayed interviews for head coaching jobs with Cleveland and Tampa Bay until after Super Bowl XXV, where his Giants defeated Buffalo.

“You’re gonna get started at the same time anyway as a coach," Belichick added. "It’s not that, but the distraction that it leads into, I think I was very fortunate and glad that I didn’t have to deal with that. So I don’t like it, but it’s not my rule. It’s not my choice.

"So I think it’s unfair to the teams that have performed and worked so hard to get to that position to have another team that’s obviously not a good team, that has created their own negative situation by having to hire a new coach because of their performance generally, is able to disrupt the team that’s trying to win a championship.”

Belichick boasts 31 playoff wins and three AP NFL Coach of the Year honors (2003, 2007 and 2010).