Thaddeus Dixon Ready To Be Impact Player on UNC Defense

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Thaddeus Dixon ended the 2024 season with his mind on the NFL.

Dixon began his career at Long Beach CC before playing two seasons at Washington in 2023 and 2024, and he was considering entering the draft. He was granted extra eligibility by the NCAA ruling that extended the careers of junior college athletes, not counting their JUCO years against them, and he wound up entering the transfer portal.

Dixon played his last year at Washington with Steve Belichick as his defensive coordinator. When Bill Belichick got the North Carolina job and hired Steve as the DC, he began to recruit Dixon in the portal, encouraging him to play one more year.

“I remember him telling me it’ll be very beneficial to myself and to all the stuff that I want to do, especially going to the NFL,” Dixon said in July at ACC Kickoff. “I just felt like he emphasized that it would be just a year to learn, a year to get real NFL knowledge and real NFL game from a lot of NFL coaches. The opportunity to learn was the key selling point.” 

The 6-foot-1 Dixon committed to North Carolina in January. Last season with the Huskies, Dixon recorded 43 tackles, 10 pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble. Entering this year, he was one of four players nominated by UNC for the preseason All-ACC team.

Dixon drew high reviews from his performance during spring camp. Entering the fall, UNC is looking for Dixon to deliver high-level play in the defensive backfield.

“He’s a relentless player,” UNC linebacker Khmori House, also Dixon’s teammate at Washington, said on Saturday. “I think he’s a very smart, intelligent player. He’s able to understand formations, great instincts. So I think he’s an all-around good football player. He can do a lot of things, you can play him at nickel, play him at corner. He could even go to safety if he wanted to.”

House added that Dixon was one of the vocal leaders on Washington’s defense last season. Before House got to Washington, Dixon played in the 2023 national championship game for the 14-1 Huskies. 

Dixon makes it a point to offer pointers and give guidance where he can. And early on, he’s getting that attention and respect from his teammates when he doles out advice.

“I try to emphasize to the young guys that football is football,” Dixon said. “No matter what the stage is. It could be the national championship. You can be playing a Group of Five school or the best Power Four school. I’ve just been emphasizing to them that you just have to play football. To get where you want to be, you’ve got to take it day by day. Go 1-0 every day. So really, don’t even stress it. We got here doing what we love to do, playing football how we learned how to play it. Just keep doing your thing. I feel like when you think too much, it takes away from your game.”

Earlier this summer, Belichick said Dixon could play anywhere in the secondary. Dixon said in July that Belichick gave him wisdom on how former New England Patriots defensive backs Ty Law and Darrelle Revis used to play, saying they observed the field from a holistic perspective. Dixon said Belichick taught him how to understand the responsibilities of all 11 players on defense every play.

Last season, North Carolina paired Marcus Allen with Alijah Huzzie at cornerback. Huzzie signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, and Allen remains at UNC for his fourth season with the program.

Allen, an experienced player himself, finished last season with 36 tackles, four pass breakups and two interceptions. He said on Saturday that playing alongside Dixon is similar to the dynamic he had with Huzzie.

“Thad is a one of a kind guy,” Allen said. “He brings a lot of energy, a lot of confidence. So just having that on the other side of the field, knowing that that side of the field is being taken care of. Having a partner, just like how it was with Huzzie, having a partner there that’s going to push each other. And if one of us is messing up, we’re going to hold each other accountable, make sure we get it right and make sure we do our part so that our team can win.”

Dixon’s made the adjustment as a California kid coming to the East Coast. He said the presence of Steve Belichick helped make the transition easier upon transferring in.

Despite that familiarity, though, he said North Carolina’s defense won’t exactly mirror what the Huskies ran last year.

“The defense we ran out in Washington was the 2024 Washington defense,” Dixon said. “Coach Steve is emphasizing the 2025 University of North Carolina defense. So two completely different defenses, definitely not the same. We got new players, a whole lot of new pieces. So y’all will have to see on Week One.”