Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels have lost a player to retirement five games into the college football season.
Caleb Hood, a fifth-year senior who started the season as the Tar Heels’ starting running back, announced Friday that he has decided to retire from the sport. In a statement posted to social media, he thanked Belichick and his staff for the opportunity.
Thank you Carolina 🫶🏾 pic.twitter.com/zUGHIkhpcv
— Caleb Hood (@calebhood05) October 10, 2025
In his own statement, Belichick praised Hood for his contributions to the program, and added that he felt “his conviction and the peace with his playing career closing.”
Hood started at running back for North Carolina this season and actually was responsible for the team’s first score of the season with an 8-yard touchdown run. His usage has declined since then, and he got just one carry in last Saturday’s home loss to Clemson.
Hood’s best season came in 2022, when he ran for 250 yards to go with 119 receiving yards. Injuries were a major issue throughout his career, though they do not appear to be the root cause of his retirement.
There is no indication that Belichick or his staff factored into Hood’s decision. However, it still does not reflect well on a program that is just 2-3 and appears to be in chaos. Mid-season retirements do happen, but they are not very common, and it certainly feeds into the narrative that the program is in a downward spiral.
