Bill Belichick and the new coaching staff at North Carolina have secured a major recruiting victory by keeping highly sought-after quarterback prospect Bryce Baker committed.
Baker, a blue-chip prospect from Kernersville (NC) East Forsyth, confirmed to On3 on Friday that he would honor his commitment to UNC, which he made on June 27, 2023, despite the staff changes. He made his decision public on Saturday after a visit with Belichick and the coaching staff in Chapel Hill.
Baker spoke with Belichick for the first time during a Zoom call on Thursday afternoon at 3:30 pm.
“I just feel like with Belichick coming in, they can provide the next-level development that I didn’t see with other options,” Baker shared. “Belichick’s NFL experience and his firsthand knowledge of what it takes to be the best is something I’m really excited about.”
“I asked all the hard questions I wanted,” Baker said. “Asked a lot of serious questions. Not just about me, but plan for the team, recruiting.
“I asked him about his plans to change the culture at North Carolina. He just explained how he was going to run it like an NFL place. He knows there’s differences in college and the NFL but he will have that next-level accountability he’s going to hold the team to. I think that’s going to help with the culture shift.”
“I love competition,” Baker said. “He might bring in one more quarterback as a gap option while I prepare, but I feel that everyone is fully invested in me.”
With that, Baker is fully committed to Belichick and North Carolina.
“That’s one of the main reasons I’m going to North Carolina,” Baker explained. “I know I’ll be developed there. I want to build my legacy at the University of North Carolina.”
