Bill Belichick lands his first UNC transfer commitment, a lineman from Holy Cross
Christo Kelly, a center from Holy Cross, will join Belichick's program.
Bill Belichick didn’t have to look far to land his first transfer commitment at North Carolina.
Christo Kelly, a 6-foot-4, 305-pound offensive lineman from Holy Cross, announced his commitment to UNC earlier this week. He was a first-team All-Patriot League selection at the center position last season.
“It seems almost impossible to put into words. Holy Cross is such a special place, and the people are the reason it’s so special. Leaving them behind is incredibly hard,” Kelly told The New England Football Journal. “But, every journey comes to an end and new chapters begin. I’m so grateful for my experience at Holy Cross and for all the people who impacted me…coaches, players, teachers and administrators. It truly is a one-of-a-kind place.”
Kelly, who is from Williamette, Illinois, has been at Holy Cross since 2020. He started all 12 games this past season and was a team captain for the Crusaders, who went 7-4 and averaged 27.6 points per game.
The three-star prospect ranked No. 8 in the country among interior offensive lineman and No. 132 overall in the 247Sports transfer rankings. UNC’s 2025 football recruiting class is ranked No. 91 in the country, and No. 33 when it comes to transfers according to 247Sports.
Kelly entered the transfer portal on Nov. 25, and Belichick was hired as UNC coach on Dec. 11. Kelly said the opportunity to play for Belichick was too good to pass up.
“It has everything,” Kelly said. “There’s no better place to play college football right now than Chapel Hill under Coach Belichick. It’s a no-brainer for any recruit. The investment the community and school are making in the football program is unbelievable, and to be a part of it, helping contribute to winning football games for Coach Belichick is truly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Holy Cross, which is located in Worcester, is less than an hour away from Foxborough, where Belichick coached the Patriots for 24 seasons. His daughter, Amanda Belichick, coaches lacrosse at the school.
Belichick has a history of drafting and players from smaller schools at the NFL level.
New England drafted Kyle Dugger from Division II Lenoir-Rhyne. The Patriots were the only team in the NFL to Draft an HBCU player in 2023, when they took Isaiah Bolden out of Jackson State. The Patriots picked Cole Strange in the first round from Chattanooga. Chattanooga and Jackson State both compete at the FCS level.
Belichick is attempting to rebuild UNC football, which hasn’t won a conference title since 1980, into a contender. The transfer portal will play a key role in determining his success.
His first move in the transfer portal as a college football coach was to get a center, which is the position he played in college at Wesleyan. He picked one from a familiar place, Holy Cross, not too far from his old stomping grounds.
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