Bill Belichick may not be done building North Carolina’s 2026 roster.

With UNC just days away from opening the season against TCU in Ireland, Belichick acknowledged that the Tar Heels are looking at players who could gain another year of eligibility through the courts.

That’s another sign of how chaotic the current college football landscape has become.

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“We’ve looked at a number of them,” Belichick said Friday. “Each case is a little bit different. If it works, it works. If it doesn’t, it doesn’t.”

That doesn’t sound like UNC is expecting a blockbuster addition before kickoff.

It does sound like the door is open.

The latest wave of eligibility cases has created a strange new market for experienced players who might once have been considered finished with college football. Some programs are avoiding that uncertainty. Others are treating it like one more way to strengthen a roster.

North Carolina is clearly in the second group.

Belichick added, “I don’t think there’s anything we’re counting on, but we’re always open to anything that will help the team.”

That last line is probably the key.

Belichick is entering his second season at North Carolina after a disappointing first year, and there’s obvious pressure for the Tar Heels to show real progress in 2026. If an experienced player becomes legally available and can help immediately, there’s little reason for UNC not to investigate.

There’s also some organizational uncertainty behind the scenes. General manager Michael Lombardi is currently on paid leave amid an internal investigation, so it’s not entirely clear who is driving the late-stage roster search.

But the search itself is happening.

LSU has been aggressive in pursuing similar opportunities under Lane Kiffin, while Notre Dame reportedly has little interest in jumping into the same pool.

That contrast says a lot about where college football is right now.

There’s no universal playbook.

Every school is making its own calculation on risk, roster fit and whether another court ruling could suddenly produce a veteran player worth adding.

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For North Carolina, the timing makes everything more urgent.

The Tar Heels open against TCU in Ireland in six days.

So if Belichick is going to pull off one last roster surprise, he doesn’t have much time left.