North Carolina’s fall camp is closing with a few jobs already settled, and the Tar Heels have gotten some real clarity in spots that mattered most. The quarterback battle is over, the receiver room has a new No. 2, and one of the portal additions up front looks ready to step straight into a starting role.
At quarterback, Edwards Jr. came out on top in a competition that never felt completely locked from the start. He and Miles O'Neill entered camp as the main contenders, and there was a stretch when O'Neill looked like he might be moving ahead.
In the end, Edwards Jr.’s experience appears to have tipped the decision. The former Wisconsin quarterback now has the job, and his assignment is simple: steer the offense and help it take shape early.
The first two weeks of the season will be monumental.
The biggest rise in camp may have belonged to the Lehigh transfer at wide receiver. Humphrey kept showing off the kind of traits that can change a drive in a hurry - size, strength, and the ability to win when the odds are not exactly in his favor.
Offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino pointed to Humphrey’s work in red zone drills, and that fits the broader picture of what he brought throughout camp. Petrino said sometimes you need players who can make plays in low-percentage situations.
Humphrey can stretch the field and make contested catches. At 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds, he has locked down the WR2 spot, and with Jordan Shipp likely drawing extra defensive attention, Humphrey should have plenty of chances to put up numbers in 2026.
Up front, North Carolina’s investment in the offensive line through the transfer portal is already paying off with McRoy. The former Arkansas tackle has been one of the standouts of camp, and Bill Belichick said he has improved every day.
That steady climb has put McRoy in position to open the season as the starting right tackle against TCU. He may not have logged extensive snaps at Oregon and Arkansas, but in camp he has quickly grown into a strong pass protector and a solid run blocker.
In Other News...
UNCs Overhaul Put One Huge Belichick Question Front And Center
North Carolinas offseason rebuild has been impossible to miss, and it starts with how aggressively the program attacked the transfer portal. The Tar Heels brought in a wave of experienced help, settled on Billy Edwards Jr. as the starting quarterback and reshaped the staff around Bill Belichicks vision, including swapping out Freddie Kitchens for Bobby Petrino as the offensive play-caller.
The bigger question now is how quickly all of those pieces fit together, especially with the offense still being built around Edwards Jr. and a plan to keep adding pass catchers and offensive linemen for 2026. The staff also made a point of strengthening the rushing attack and pass rush, so the next stretch is less about the roster overhaul itself and more about whether this version of the Tar Heels can turn that new structure into something that actually works on Saturdays. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malones Early UNC Vision Could Change How The Tar Heels Win
Michael Malone is settling into his first season leading North Carolina, and the early shape of the roster tells you where he wants this program to go. The Tar Heels have shifted their focus toward the backcourt, using transfers to shore up guard play and give the team a different kind of backbone heading into the new season.
For a program long associated with frontcourt size and post presence, that emphasis says plenty about Malones priorities. He has been clear that toughness, effort and guard play will drive what UNC becomes next, and the real question now is how quickly those additions can turn that vision into something the Tar Heels can lean on when the games start to matter. [Read more 🡒]
Jaylen McGill Is Pushing For A Bigger UNC Role Before TCU
Jaylen McGill has spent the offseason trying to make himself harder to keep off the field, and North Carolinas sophomore running back says the work has centered on the details that coaches notice quickest. He pointed to improvement in pass protection and a growing comfort as a receiver, both signs that he is trying to become more than just another option in the backfield. With the opener against TCU set for Dublin, Ireland, McGill also sounded steady about the quarterback room and the way the offense is coming together under Bobby Petrino.
For a player looking to expand his role, those kinds of comments matter because they fit the broader tone coming out of Chapel Hill. McGill described a locker room that is tight and focused, with players buying into the standard the staff is setting. The Tar Heels still have to show it on game day, but McGills offseason message was clear: he wants a bigger piece of the offense, and he believes he is ready for the chance. [Read more 🡒]