North Carolina’s quarterback race is running out of time, and the latest update out of training camp doesn’t exactly clear the fog.
With the opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland set for Aug. 29, the Tar Heels are still trying to settle the most important job on the field while the program has dealt with a rough stretch off it as well. Before camp even got rolling, reports said general manager Michael Lombardi was placed on paid administrative leave amid an investigation. Then early in camp, defensive coordinator Steve Belichick was put on medical leave.
On the field, the battle under center has not produced much separation. According to Pete Nakos of On3, Billy Edwards and Miles O’Neill have not done enough to lock down the starting role. Edwards, who had been projected nationally to win the job, reportedly struggled in a scrimmage over the weekend, while O’Neill was said to have performed better in Saturday’s work.
There is at least one name drawing positive attention inside the program: true freshman Travis Burgess. UNC reportedly likes what it has seen from him so far.
That leaves North Carolina with less than two weeks to make a decision before Week 0. The Tar Heels are also trying to avoid a repeat of last year’s opener against TCU, when they were beaten 48-14 at home.
Quarterback play was a problem in that loss, too. Max Johnson finished 9 of 11 for 103 yards, while Gip Lopez went 4 of 10 for 69 yards with one interception.
Bill Belichick said Friday that the staff has had to absorb extra responsibilities while the program has dealt with those absences.
“People have picked up in areas, and we’ve done the things that we had to do at this time of year,” Belichick said, via USA Today. “Things will change, as they always do, on the calendar, as recruiting changes, as the regular season comes into play and so forth.
"But for this period, it’s been the same until it changes, which will be in late August, early September.”
In Other News...
UNCs New Big Man Is Finally In Chapel Hill With One Hurdle Left
Sayon Keita is finally in Chapel Hill, giving North Carolina its new big man on campus after the freshman arrived in the state following approval of his visa. He was met at the Raleigh/Durham airport by coaches Michael Malone and Chuck Martin, and has already started getting settled into life at the university as he prepares to join the Tar Heels.
There is still one box left to check before Keita can fully move forward, and it is the one UNC will keep watching closely. For now, the emphasis is on getting him acclimated and ready for the 2026-2027 season, but the final hurdle still hangs over what has otherwise been a welcome arrival for the program. [Read more 🡒]
Tyler Hansbrough Admits The NBA Took Something Out Of Him
Tyler Hansbrough has never been far from North Carolina basketball, and in a recent podcast conversation he opened up about a part of his career that often gets skipped over in the retelling. The former Tar Heels star and 2009 national champion said the constant pressure to prove critics wrong during his NBA years wore on him, enough that it eventually took something out of the way he felt about the game.
Hansbrough spent seven seasons in the NBA before closing his career overseas in China, and he said the change of scenery helped him find that old enjoyment again, away from the noise and criticism that followed him in the league. He still keeps close tabs on UNC and remains a supporter of the program, which makes his reflections land with a familiar mix of honesty and loyalty for Tar Heels fans who remember how hard he played from the moment he arrived in Chapel Hill. [Read more 🡒]