North Carolina football is back on the field for fall camp, and the biggest question in Chapel Hill is already hanging over the season: who takes control of the quarterback job?
That battle should sort itself out before Week 0 in Dublin, when the Tar Heels face TCU on the international stage. Billy Edwards Jr., Miles O'Neill, and true freshman Travis Burgess are the three names in the mix, and all three bring something different to the table. Burgess is the favorite here, but he’ll have to beat out Edwards’ experience and O'Neill’s big arm before Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino settle on the player who will lead the offense.
There’s plenty of young talent worth watching beyond the quarterback race, too. North Carolina brought in roughly 40 true freshmen, and while not all of them will still be around next summer, several already stood out during spring and summer work. Burgess is the freshman with the clearest path to a Week 0 start, but he’s not the only newcomer who could matter right away.
On defense, Belichick appears to have hit on four freshmen in particular: linebacker DQ Forkpa, cornerback Kenton Dopson III, defensive lineman Vodney Cleveland, and safety Jakob Weatherspoon. Each of them looks capable of forcing his way onto the field this season, even if that doesn’t mean a starting job right away. Wide receiver CJ Sadler is another first-year player to keep an eye on, especially as a quick, slippery option with the ball in space.
The other big reason for optimism is the offense itself, which has to climb after finishing 126th in points per game. Petrino’s arrival was a major move in that effort, especially after he helped turn a two-win Arkansas team into a top-25 scoring offense. North Carolina also added a wave of new pieces around him, including transfer offensive linemen Andrew Threatt and Shaq McRoy, who are expected to start when the season opens.
The tight end room has its own group of high-upside options, and the receiving corps should look different as well. Jordan Shipp remains the headliner, but Mason Humphrey and Trech Kekahuna give the Tar Heels more to work with in the passing game. If camp goes the way North Carolina hopes, this offense should be one of the biggest stories on the roster by the time the season gets rolling.
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Hubert Davis Just Sparked The Next Big UNC Coaching Debate
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According to Matt Norlander, Davis is eager to get back into college basketball coaching in the upcoming cycle, and he has made clear he wants another head coaching opportunity. He also expressed gratitude for his time in Chapel Hill, which leaves the next chapter open but very much in motion as the coaching market starts to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
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The omission that will sting most in Chapel Hill is on the defensive line, where one of UNCs most productive players from last fall was left off despite earning second-team all-conference recognition a year ago. He finished 2025 with 10.5 sacks and delivered multiple disruptive games against Virginia, Syracuse and Stanford, but the preseason nod never came, adding to the sense that the Tar Heels are entering 2026 with little external respect and even less margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Michael Malone Is Bringing Back Something UNC Fans Felt Was Missing
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For a fan base that has always valued its ties to past teams, that matters almost as much as anything happening on the floor. Henson also made it clear that this is not just lip service, since UNC is set to hold a Carolina family reunion this year, a sign that Malone is leaning into the broader culture around the program as he settles in. After a stretch in which that connection felt less central than it once did, the shift is hard for Tar Heels fans to miss. [Read more 🡒]