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Bill Belichick Earns Commitment From Former Alabama Pledge

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Grant Bricker | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 8:54 PM ET

The Alabama Crimson Tide could not lock down the commitment of Jamarrion Gordon, and North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick took advantage.

On Wednesday, On3's Hayes Fawcett reported that Gordon had committed to North Carolina.

Gordon initially committed to Alabama in May of 2024 and de-committed a couple of months later in July of that year. He then pledged to the UCF Knights in that same month before reopening his recruitment a second time in November.

Belichick returned to college after a 32-year NFL head coaching career that spanned from 1991 to 2023. He replaced the longtime North Carolina head coach, Mack Brown, after being fired last season.

Gordon is a four-star safety in the 2026 class and the No. 39 player at his position in the 247Sports Composite.

Belichick has some history with longtime Alabama head coach Nick Saban. The two were on the same coaching staff when Belichick was named head coach of the Cleveland Browns in 1991.

He hired Saban as his defensive coordinator from Toledo.

Saban and Belichick later faced each other as head coaches. Saban was the head coach of the Miami Dolphins, while Belichick was with the New England Patriots.

They played each other four times from 2005-06, with the series tied at two to this day.

Much like the Patriots with Belichick, Alabama is no longer led by Saban, who retired after the 2023 season.

The Crimson Tide now has Kalen DeBoer at the helm. DeBoer has not achieved the same results as Saban, but has proven to be a solid recruiter.

Alabama has the No. 12 overall 2026 recruiting class via On3 Sports. One of DeBoer's recent commits, quarterback Jett Thomalla, was seen excelling at the Elite 11 Finals.

Crimson Tide target Deacon Schmitt announces Alabama as one of his finalists and revealed his commitment date. The four-star offensive tackle is committing on Saturday.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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