North Carolina’s second week of fall camp delivered the kind of quarterback shakeup that can define an opening month. With the Tar Heels closing in on the Aug. 29 season opener against TCU, the staff finally made its call: the sixth-year veteran will be the Week 1 starter.
That decision puts Edwards Jr. squarely in the winner’s column. He transferred to North Carolina with the expectation that he would have a chance to start immediately, and that path has now opened up in full.
For most of the offseason, that outcome seemed to be the likeliest one. But over the last two weeks, the competition had started to tilt in a different direction.
Miles O’Neill had been making a strong push and, for a while, looked like he might take control of the job. The Texas A&M transfer was getting the first reps in drills and had clearly put himself in position to challenge for QB1.
By the end of camp’s second week, though, the momentum swung back the other way, and the Wisconsin transfer came out on top. Edwards Jr. is set to lead the Tar Heels in Dublin, Ireland, against TCU on Aug.
For O’Neill, the result lands much harder than a simple loss in a position battle. He didn’t just fall short; he was close enough to the finish line that the starting job felt within reach. Coaches and teammates had taken notice of how well he performed throughout camp, and it appeared he had the inside track before the decision was announced.
That doesn’t close the door on him in Chapel Hill. Edwards Jr. still has to prove the staff made the right choice once the games begin, and if things change, O’Neill should be the next man up.
As it stands, the redshirt sophomore is expected to open the season as the backup and would likely get the first shot if Edwards Jr. is benched. For now, though, he has to go on the list of biggest losers from the second week of camp.
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Michael Malone Is Sending UNC Fans A Tough Early Message
Michael Malone is stepping into Chapel Hill with the kind of message fans often hear when a new era begins, but do not always want to absorb: the work comes first, and the results have to grow from it. As he gets ready for his debut season at North Carolina, Malone is pushing a long-term approach built around daily improvement rather than treating a championship as something that should arrive on schedule. That matters at a program that has already lived through a rough stretch, including a first-round tournament exit that helped bring about the coaching change.
There is reason for optimism, though, because Malone also brings a track record of recruiting success and is expected to help UNC stack talent in the 2027 class. The bigger question is how quickly all of that can be turned into a team that looks like a title contender again. For Tar Heels fans, the early message is less about instant gratification and more about patience, even as the pieces for a stronger future begin to come together. [Read more 🡒]
UNCs Offseason Additions Still Havent Silenced This Doubt
ESPNs latest Bracketology update gave North Carolina a little less room to breathe, slotting the Tar Heels as an 8-seed after they had been projected as a 7-seed two months ago. It is a small drop on paper, but it fits the uneasy tone around a team that has tried to bolster its roster in the offseason while still searching for the kind of confidence that comes with being viewed as a more secure tournament bet.
UNC did add Angelo Brizzi, Cameron Fens and Sayon Keita, giving the roster a different look heading into the season and some reason for optimism. Even so, the broader conversation has not fully moved off the same question: whether those additions are enough to quiet doubts about where the Tar Heels sit in the bracket and how tough their path could be if they wind up in a loaded region. [Read more 🡒]