North Carolina doesn’t have the luxury of shopping for answers at quarterback right now, which is exactly why Billy Edwards Jr. has to keep the job.
The Tar Heels’ graduate transfer is trying to settle in as a steady game manager, the kind of quarterback who keeps drives on schedule and lets the playmakers do the damage. But over the last two games, Edwards has also shown the kind of stretches that simply cannot pass muster. Even so, the reality for North Carolina is plain: he’s the one they’re stuck with.
That’s partly about experience and partly about trust. Edwards is the Tar Heels’ most proven passer, and he brings more game reps than redshirt sophomore Miles O'Neill or true freshman Travis Burgess. He has also done enough to move the offense most of the time, even if it hasn’t always looked clean.
The bigger issue is what happens when things start to break down around him. Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino needs the ball getting to the offense’s top weapons, wide receiver Jordan Shipp, also known as “Mr.
Carolina,” and tight end Jelani Thurman. When Edwards can’t consistently do that, and when the offensive line can’t create enough push to get the run game rolling, the whole operation gets shaky fast.
For a team with a strong defense, the margin for error gets razor thin.
There’s also no real suggestion that Edwards is the kind of quarterback who will carry a team on his own. That’s just not his game.
The standard for what good quarterback play looks like is clear enough, and North Carolina has seen it before with Sam Howell and Drake Maye. In that light, the frustration is understandable.
Still, Bill Belichick is right to keep rolling with the sixth-year senior for now.
The point where a change becomes unavoidable would be if Edwards strings together two or three rough games that are hard to ignore. Until then, the Tar Heels have to live with the volatility.
There is, at least, a reason to understand why some would want to see Burgess. Even if the accuracy isn’t fully there yet, the athleticism and playmaking ability he brings with his arms and legs would give Tar Heels fans something to latch onto.
Edwards did show some improvement against Notre Dame, which counted as a solid bounce-back even with two interceptions. That’s enough to keep him in place. For now, North Carolina has to stick with him and hope the consistency arrives before the situation forces a decision.
In Other News...
UNC Faces A Defining Final Road Test Before Coming Home
Carolina field hockey is nearing the end of a three-week road trip, and the last stop away from home brings a useful measuring stick before the team heads back to Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels will see Saint Josephs first, then No. 17 Liberty, with the trip giving them one more chance to sharpen things after a recent 3-0 win over No. 16 Louisville showed how dangerous they can look against ranked opposition.
The timing matters because these final road games also fold into a stretch that has already featured familiar history and a chance to stack results before the schedule turns again. Carolina has leaned on players like Charly Bruder, whose career scoring total has become part of the teams offensive backbone, and now the question is whether that balance can carry over one more weekend before the Tar Heels finally come home. [Read more 🡒]
UNC May Have Found A Passing Weapon Defenses Cant Ignore
Jelani Thurmans first month at North Carolina has given the Tar Heels something they can build on in the passing game. After arriving from Ohio State this season, the tight end has quickly settled in as a steady presence for quarterback Billy Edwards Jr., averaging four catches per game through four games and already topping his career receiving yardage from his time with the Buckeyes.
For a North Carolina offense looking for reliable options, Thurmans early chemistry with Edwards has stood out. He has become the kind of consistent target defenses have to account for, and his role gives the Tar Heels a flexible weapon at tight end as they keep sorting out where the passing game can gain the most traction. [Read more 🡒]
UNC Freshman Sayon Keita Is Forcing His Way Into A Bigger Role
Sayon Keita did not arrive in Chapel Hill with much time to settle in, but the 7-foot freshman center has already made himself hard to ignore. The Mali native came over from FC Barcelonas system in Spain shortly before the semester started, then quickly began showing the kind of size and skill package that can change a frontcourt conversation for North Carolina.
Michael Malone has been encouraged enough by Keitas transition to a new country and a new college game to believe he can push for meaningful minutes right away. Keita reclassified to join the Tar Heels this season after committing on April 28, and the only real question now is how quickly his game translates once the competition for playing time tightens. [Read more 🡒]