Veteran quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. has won the starting job at North Carolina for its season opener against TCU in Ireland, according to ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Edwards, a transfer from Wisconsin who spent time at Wake Forest and Maryland, won the job over Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill and freshman Travis Burgess.
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Edwards Jr. redshirted at Wake Forest in 2021, then played three seasons at Maryland, including 11 games in 2024 when he threw for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns. He transferred to Wisconsin for 2025 and was the team’s starting quarterback in the opener. But he injured his knee in the first game, returned to action briefly three weeks later and missed the rest of the season.
Edwards, 6-foot-3 and 228 pounds, was limited physically when he first arrived at UNC.
“He’s as healthy as he’s been in a long time,” UNC offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino said earlier this month.
The Tar Heels kick off Aug. 29 against TCU in head coach Bill Belichick’s second season in Chapel Hill.
"I don't think there's a leader in the clubhouse, but it's been very competitive," Belichick said on Aug. 14. "They've all had a lot of really good moments and a couple that they'd probably like to have back -- as we all do."
Edwards has more experience than the rest of the Tar Heels' quarterbacks, including Au'Tori Newkirk, have combined, Belichick pointed out earlier in preseason.
O'Neill, who Petrino recruited at Texas A&M, appeared to be taking the first reps during limited media availability last week. Burgess has earned praise from Petrino, too.
Belichick previously said he had no timeline for naming a starter.
"Once it becomes apparent and clear, then that's when we'll make the decision," he said.
He said last week that the quarterbacks would be judged, in part, on their ability to avoid negative plays, drawing on his experience coaching NFL legend Tom Brady with the New England Patriots.
"Eliminating negative plays is really probably more important than making the spectacular ones," Belichick said.
