Billy Edwards will be North Carolina’s starting quarterback when the Tar Heels face TCU in Dublin on August 29. ESPN reported on Tuesday that Edwards, a transfer from Wisconsin, secured the top spot after a heated fall camp battle against fellow transfer Miles O’Neill from Texas A&M. This is a huge move for UNC, and the pressure is on Edwards to deliver.
From Roller Coaster Play to the Helm of the Tar Heels
Edwards’ journey to Chapel Hill has been a wild one, stopping at Maryland and Wisconsin before landing with the Tar Heels in the offseason. His 2024 season at Maryland was his absolute best, and it’s what Tar Heels fans have to be clinging to. He played in 11 games, completing a solid 65% of his passes for an impressive 2,881 yards. He threw for 15 touchdowns, had nine interceptions, and even added five more scores on the ground. Those are numbers that get you excited! But then came 2025 at Wisconsin. After suffering a knee injury in Week 1 against Miami (Ohio), Edwards only appeared in two games. He tossed just three passes in the Badgers’ Week 4 loss to Maryland and did not see the field again that year. His total output for 2025 was a mere 7-of-16 passing for 113 yards. That’s a massive drop, and it really shows the high-stakes gamble Coach Bill Belichick is making here.
Belichick’s QB Room Overhaul Is Complete (For Now)
You know Bill Belichick does not mess around, and he totally blew up North Carolina’s quarterback room after the 2025 season. When he got hired at the end of 2023, the Tar Heels brought in Gio Lopez from South Alabama and freshman Bryce Baker. Lopez started Week 1 that year, ahead of Max Johnson. Guess what? All three transferred out this offseason, with Lopez heading to Wake Forest, Baker to Virginia Tech, and Johnson to Georgia Southern for his seventh season of eligibility. The 2025 season was tough, finishing 4-8, and the QBs only managed a combined 2,202 yards and 13 touchdowns. Belichick also brought in a new offensive coordinator, Bobby Petrino, who replaced Freddie Kitchens after just one season. Petrino spent the past two seasons as Arkansas’ offensive coordinator and was even their interim coach at the end of 2025, after Sam Pittman’s firing. With all those changes, Edwards has to be the guy who finally stabilizes things.
The season kicks off against TCU, and then it gets brutal. Before November even hits, North Carolina has to face Clemson, Notre Dame, and Miami. That’s one of the toughest schedules in the ACC. A bowl game already looks like a farfetched possibility, but if Edwards can tap into his 2024 form, maybe, just maybe, he can surprise everyone. It all starts August 29 in Dublin.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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