Bill Belichick reveals what makes TCU QB Jaden Craig a 'problem' for UNC football

CHAPEL HILL — TCU quarterback Jaden Craig is coming from the FCS level, but he has the full attention of UNC football coach Bill Belichick and linebacker Derek McDonald. 

Craig is a Harvard graduate, but he’s never played QB against a Power Four opponent. Still, the 6-foot-3, 225-pound playmaker was a Walter Payton Award finalist in 2025 and set records with the Crimson, becoming the program’s all-time leader in yards (6,074) and passing TDs (52) in his three-year career.

Now, Craig will lead the Horned Frogs against UNC in the first game of the 2026 college football season as part of the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Ireland.

“You can’t really think, ‘Oh, he came from the FCS.’ We have a ton of guys from the FCS and we have some really good players from the FCS level,” said McDonald, a Syracuse transfer who has nearly 1,500 snaps as an ACC linebacker. 

“A lot of people slip through the cracks in the recruiting process and then they end up here (at the Power Four level) at the right place. He’s super talented. You can see that on the film, no matter who they’re playing.”

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Belichick described Craig as an “impressive player,” pointing to dual-threat potential at the position and the QB’s success at Harvard.

“Big, strong kid. Can run well; he’s athletic,” Belichick said. “Good arm. He can make all the throws and definitely get the ball down the field. … He’s a problem with the ball in his hands, too. Very productive in the Ivy League.” 

In UNC’s 48-14 loss to TCU last season, the Horned Frogs racked up 542 total yards. Quarterback Josh Hoover completed 27 of 36 passes for 284 yards and two TDs against the Tar Heels, with wide receiver Jordan Dwyer hauling in nine catches for 136 yards and a TD. 

Hoover is now with Curt Cignetti and reigning national champion Indiana, but Dwyer is back for a fifth year as a weapon for Craig under first-year offensive coordinator Gordon Sammis, who helped UConn put together consecutive nine-win seasons before making the move to Fort Worth. UConn QB Joe Fagano had 3,448 yards, 28 touchdowns and just one interception last season with Sammis.

So UNC isn’t focusing on an FCS QB, they’re focusing on TCU’s QB. Craig is a mystery as a P4 player, but he’s getting plenty of respect from the Tar Heels before the season opener in Dublin. 

“Obviously, he’s a talented guy coming from the Ivy League,” McDonald said. 

“He can run around a little bit. He’s definitely an athlete, but he can throw the ball deep; he’s got a pretty big arm. It’ll be interesting to see how they use him in that offense, but I think it’s gonna be a good challenge for us.” 

Rodd Baxley covers North Carolina Tar Heels athletics for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding UNC? Send them to rbaxley@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Bill Belichick reveals what makes TCU QB Jaden Craig a ‘problem’ for UNC football