Bill Belichick’s North Carolina Tar Heels have their starting quarterback.
Transfer QB Billy Edwards Jr. won the starting job for the Tar Heels’ season opener against TCU, which will take place in Dublin, Ireland, on Aug. 29, ESPN reported on Tuesday.
Edwards has a sixth year of eligibility due to a medical redshirt from his lone season with Wisconsin in 2025, when he was injured during the season opener on a non-contact play.
The 23-year-old started his collegiate career in 2021 as a redshirt at Wake Forest and has plenty of experience after spending three seasons with Maryland from 2022-24.
Edwards was the full-time starter during the 2024 season, throwing for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
He had been named the starter for Wisconsin before his injury ended that quickly.
“Billy Edwards has played a lot of football and had a lot of production in the Big Ten in the 2024 season at Maryland,” Belichick previously said. “From an experience standpoint, he has more experience than all the other quarterbacks put together, times five.”
ESPN reported that Edwards beat out Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill for the starter role for UNC.
O’Neill made eight appearances in two seasons with the Aggies.
The decision was a big one for Belichick, 74, as he goes into his second season at the helm of the Tar Heels program after his first in college football was marred by ugly results and off-field drama surrounding his relationship with 25-year-old girlfriend Jordon Hudson and the program.
The Tar Heels finished with a 4-8 record and went just 2-6 in ACC play during the 2025 season, which included an embarrassing 48-14 loss to TCU in the opener.
