One of the biggest questions hanging over North Carolina heading into the 2026 season was simple: who was going to run the offense?
For most of spring and summer, the quarterback battle came down to Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr. and former Texas A&M backup Miles O'Neill. Edwards won the job, and there was plenty of doubt around that decision. He was coming off an injury, and his numbers at Wisconsin the year before didn’t exactly calm anyone down.
Then came his UNC debut against TCU, and Edwards answered in a way that should ease some nerves. In his first start for Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, he looked like a quarterback who understood exactly what the Tar Heels needed from him.
I’ll admit it: I wanted a different answer at quarterback. O'Neill made sense because of the big arm and the kind of size you usually want in a starter.
True freshman Travis Burgess was the option I was most curious about, though it was obvious he still needed more time. That left Edwards, and he had not exactly built up a ton of trust at the college level.
But against TCU, he was steady and effective. Edwards completed 16 of 28 passes for 232 yards in the win, and for a team that got solid play up front and some pop in the secondary, that was enough.
He did his job. That’s really the story.
What stood out most was how he handled the game. He didn’t try to do too much, but he also didn’t play timid. He got the ball to the right spots at all three levels, gave his receivers chances to create after the catch, and showed a quick release with enough zip to fit throws into the middle of the field.
That’s the kind of performance North Carolina can live with, especially in a season where the program is trying to move forward as a team, no matter what else is swirling around it. Edwards may have bigger games ahead, and he might even help the Tar Heels pull off some major wins. For now, the formula is pretty clear: keep the efficiency up, clean up the consistency, and let the rest take care of itself.
In Other News...
North Carolinas Offseason Rebuild Is Testing Michael Malone Right Away
Michael Malone is wasting little time finding out how quickly an offseason can turn into a roster project. After significant departures through the transfer portal and the NBA draft, North Carolina has spent the spring trying to stabilize its lineup, and the early returns have included a No. 9 transfer portal class nationally. The Tar Heels also brought in Chuck Martin, whose reputation for recruiting at Kentucky and Arkansas gives the staff another proven hand as it tries to rebuild on the fly.
The bigger question now is whether that mix of urgency and experience can keep producing. North Carolina has already shown it can land talent in a crowded market, but the challenge is sustaining that momentum while replacing what left and reshaping the roster around a new look. If Malone and his staff can turn this first wave into something more durable, it could be the start of a stronger recruiting cycle. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malone Has UNC Facing An ACC Debate Fans Wont Ignore
Michael Malones arrival has already changed the conversation around North Carolina basketball, even before the 2026-27 season takes shape. He has put together a roster that looks competitive on paper, and that early work has been enough to get the Tar Heels noticed in ESPNs way-too-early rankings, where Jeff Borzello slotted them at No. 30 and fifth in the ACC.
That placement is the kind of thing Tar Heels fans will debate all offseason, especially with coaching and roster continuity part of the early evaluation. Some around the program think UNC could wind up being better than that ranking suggests under Malones leadership, which makes the next stage of the build just as interesting as the one already in place. [Read more 🡒]
Malone Sends A Clear Message About UNCs Biggest Roster Concern
Michael Malones first formal press conference of the season offered the first real public read on how North Carolinas frontcourt is shaping up under a new coach. He spent much of the session on the Tar Heels big men, going player by player through Sayon Keita, Alexander Samodurov, Cameron Fens and Jarin Stevenson, giving background on what each can bring and where they fit as the roster takes shape.
For a team trying to sort out its biggest question area before the season gets rolling, those evaluations mattered. Malones comments pointed to a frontcourt still very much in the process of being defined, with different body types, experience levels and skill sets in the mix, and the next step will be seeing which of those pieces can translate from praise in August to dependable minutes when the games start to count. [Read more 🡒]