The University of North Carolina has chosen Billy Edwards Jr. as its starting quarterback for the 2026 season, ending a months-long quarterback competition as the Tar Heels prepare to open the year in Dublin.
Decision comes ahead of international season opener
Coach Bill Belichick and his staff made the announcement Tuesday, naming Edwards to take the first snaps when UNC faces TCU at 12 p.m. ET on Aug. 29 in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Dublin’s Avia Stadium. The selection settles a battle that stretched back to spring practice and included a Power Four transfer and a highly touted freshman prospect.
Edwards, a sixth-year senior, arrived in Chapel Hill via the transfer portal after stops that included Maryland and Wisconsin. He was the most experienced option on UNC’s roster, having started 16 career games — 11 of those coming in 2024 during his final season at Maryland — before injuries interrupted his trajectory.
What the competition looked like
The quarterback room featured three principal contenders: Edwards, former Texas A&M backup Miles O’Neill and four-star freshman Travis Burgess. All three were vying to replace Wake Forest transfer Gio Lopez as the Tar Heels’ QB1 in Belichick’s second season leading the program.
| Player | Status/Background | Notable experience |
|---|---|---|
| Billy Edwards Jr. | Sixth-year senior; transfer from Wisconsin | 16 career starts; 11 starts in 2024 at Maryland |
| Miles O’Neill | Redshirt sophomore; transfer from Texas A&M | Appeared in seven games in 2025 as backup |
| Travis Burgess | Four-star freshman recruit | Freshman with high school pedigree |
Coaching staff evaluations emphasized Edwards’ experience as a differentiator in a room that otherwise mixed youth and limited game reps. The move gives UNC a veteran presence under center as Belichick continues to build his college program after a difficult 2025 campaign.
"Billy is an older guy. A lot more experience," UNC receiver Jordan Shipp said at ACC Media Days in July. "He’s seen a lot of different defenses. He’s played a lot of different football. He’s played a lot of football."
Injury history and recent timeline
Edwards’ resume includes starts at multiple stops, but it also contains a recent injury history. While at Wisconsin in 2025, he suffered a left knee injury that curtailed his season. He returned briefly for Wisconsin’s Week 4 game against Maryland but exited after one series and ultimately received a medical redshirt before moving through the transfer portal in late December.
The Tar Heels’ staff weighed those health considerations against his on-field experience and knowledge of game situations. That calculus appears to have favored Edwards as the player most ready to lead the offense immediately.
What this means for UNC and the season opener
Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl-winning coach now in his second year at Chapel Hill, is under pressure to produce turnaround results after a 4-8 record in 2025. Naming a starter this close to the Aer Lingus Classic gives the offense a clearer identity heading into a high-profile neutral-site contest against a strong TCU program.
Key short-term implications include:
- Game-planning centered around Edwards’ experience and tendencies.
- Continued development and depth work with O’Neill and Burgess as potential in-game options.
- Fans and media will watch Edwards’ conditioning and durability during preseason practices and the Dublin trip.
With kickoff scheduled in Dublin, the Tar Heels will travel overseas for what is both an early football test and a national showcase. That setting elevates the stakes for a first snap decision: the starter will be the face of UNC’s offense in front of a global audience.
The program will reveal more on Edwards’ status in the final practice reports leading up to the trip. For now, the depth chart is set and the Tar Heels have a veteran taking the helm as they open the 2026 campaign.
