Progrums

Benjamin Hall: UNC’s 24th-Ranked RB Poised for Leap

The Tar Heels, fresh off a disappointing season under Bill Belichick’s NFL-style experiment, are banking on a revamped roster and strategic rebuild for 2026. With GM Michael Lombardi in tow, Belichick has overhauled the coaching staff, jettisoned underperformers like Freddie Kitchens, and recruited both linemen and skill players to punch holes and make plays. Amid this frenzy, running back Benjamin Hall, a transfer from Michigan with a modest 274-yard, two-touchdown output in 2025, sits at No. 24 on UNC’s depth chart. Hall averaged 3.9 yards per carry as the RB2, yet stands to benefit from heavier workloads behind a bolstered offensive line and a two-back system that aims to alleviate the burden on a rotating quarterback carousel. If UNC opts for either Billy Edwards Jr. or freshman Travis Burgess at QB, Hall’s steady efficiency could prove vital for a team hunting bowl eligibility and redemption under Belichick’s watchful eye.

It’s always heartening to see an NFL legend waltz into college like he’s shopping for orange soda—only here, Belichick’s more concerned about exhuming gridiron ghosts than teaching freshman how to pronounce “officiating.” Enter Ben “The Bulldozer” Hall, UNC’s 24th-best player, who’s suddenly primed to break tackles—or at least ricochet off defenders like a pinball in the newly beefed-up trenches. One can almost hear the echoing pep talks: “Run for three yards, hit ’em head-on, and if you hear bells ringing it’s just the chaos theory working in your favor.” While the rest of Chapel Hill dines on nachos and nostalgia, Hall will be the silicon-welded cog in Belichick’s football factory—churning out modest gains and existential crises, one handoff at a time. If this season unravels, perhaps UNC will consider drafting Hall directly into the Belichick-led pancake-flipping world of frozen breakfast cereals. At least those hopelessly oversweetened squares never question their purpose.