Sources: Billy Edwards Jr. to start at QB for North CarolinaplayBelichick: UNC ‘so far ahead of where we were last year’ (0:32)Pete Thamel
North Carolina has named veteran transfer Billy Edwards Jr. as the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback for the opener against TCU in Ireland, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
Edwards, 23, won a close battle with Miles O’Neill, a transfer from Texas A&M who has familiarity with new Tar Heels offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.
Edwards started his career back in 2021, when he redshirted at Wake Forest. He was granted a sixth year of eligibility after a medical redshirt from his time at Wisconsin last year, as he got hurt on a noncontact play in the Badgers’ season opener.
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He brings a lot of experience to the Tar Heels. Edwards shined as Maryland’s full-time starter in 2024, as he threw for 2,881 yards and tossed 15 touchdowns that season. He was Wisconsin’s starter last year before suffering the injury that derailed his season.
Edwards’ 2024 season at Maryland was highlighted by a 29-28 upset of USC in which he scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 53 seconds remaining and completed 39 of 50 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns.
O’Neill is a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore from Marblehead, Massachusetts, who appeared in eight games over two seasons at Texas A&M. He has 12 career completions for 171 yards and two touchdowns.
UNC opens with one of the toughest early-season schedules in all of college football, as the Tar Heels play at Clemson on Sept. 19 and host Notre Dame on Oct. 3. That comes after they attempt to avenge last year’s season-opening 48-14 loss to TCU.
