"He's an all-round player": 8x SB champ Bill Belichick makes bold revelation about 6'4" Clemson DT being his best recruit scouted in college football

Bill Belichick is counting down the days until his coaching debut at the collegiate level. After decades in the NFL, the eight-time Super Bowl champion took over as the head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels in December 2024. Belichick arrives in Chapel Hill as Mack Brown's replacement with the hopes of turning the fortunes of the program.

On Wednesday, the ACC Network will be airing a special interview between Bill Belichick, Clemson head coach Dabo Swinney and ESPN's Rece Davis. On Monday, ACC Network shared a clip from the interview where Belichick was questioned about the best Clemson prospect that he scouted.

Instead of well-known names like DeAndre Hopkins or Deshaun Watson, Belichick had another name in mind. According to him, 6-foot-4 DT Christian Wilkins was his favorite Clemson player to evaluate.

"It probably would be Wilkins," Belichick said. "Character, playing ability, all-round player, he could rush, he could run, had a heck of a college career and then a heck of an NFL career. We had a hard time blocking at Miami, twice a year. So I didn't like that."

Wilkins played for the Clemson Tigers from 2015 to 2018. During this stint, he won two national championships with the program before declaring for the 2019 NFL draft. The Miami Dolphins acquired Wilkins with the No. 13 pick.

Wilkins spent the first five seasons playing with Miami. In March 2024, the DT decided to join the Las Vegas Raiders, agreeing to a four-year deal worth $110 million.

Wilkins played in five games during his debut campaign with the franchise before suffering a season-ending injury. He is still rehabilitating from this injury, putting a question mark on his availability for the upcoming season.

---

Ex-UNC head coach believes Bill Belichick's success at Chapel Hill is guaranteed because of money play

On Tuesday, Mack Brown talked about Bill Belichick's future with the Tar Heels on Sirius XM. He believes the former New England Patriots coach will enjoy a successful stint at Chapel Hill.

He then justified his take by talking about how the university invested in Belichick and the football program after his arrival.

"As far as North Carolina and Bill Belichick now, he's arguably the best coach ever," Brown said via NBCSports.com. "They've committed money to it, they've helped him with academics. They've lowered those standards some. So there's absolutely no reason they shouldn't be successful."

Mack Brown served as the head coach of the Tar Heels for six years. Last season, he led the program to a 6-7 campaign before being fired ahead of the team's final regular-season game against NC State.