North Carolina spent the offseason trying to patch over a rough first year under Bill Belichick, but not every addition is lining up to deliver the kind of immediate payoff the Tar Heels want.
The quarterback room is the clearest example. Gio Lopez was well out of his depth last season, so North Carolina went into the portal looking for answers and brought in Edwards Jr., Miles O'Neill, and Travis Burgess.
At the start of training camp, the Wisconsin transfer looked like the front-runner to take the job. That picture has shifted quickly, though, with O'Neill, the Texas A&M transfer, getting reps with the starters over the last few days.
That matters because Edwards Jr. was viewed throughout the offseason as the player most likely to settle the position. I have discussed how Edwards Jr. shouldn't be the Week 1 starter and that he doesn't offer enough to elevate this offense. He was still labeled as a significant signing for the Tar Heels, and now it looks possible he opens the season as the QB2.
The ripple effect could reach Kekahuna as well. The redshirt junior receiver and Edwards Jr. were teammates at Wisconsin in 2025, so his best path to production may have been tied to that connection. If Edwards Jr. loses the quarterback battle and doesn't play, Kekahuna's expected output could disappear with it.
O'Neill may end up being the better option for North Carolina, but Kekahuna does not have that same prior relationship with the sophomore quarterback. And beyond the quarterback situation, Kekahuna has not drawn much buzz during camp. His career production so far also does not give much reason to believe he is about to become a dependable pass-catching weapon.
So while North Carolina did upgrade parts of the roster through the portal and recruiting, these two transfers are far from sure things heading into the season.
In Other News...
North Carolina Basketball Community Mourns A Coach Who Meant So Much
The North Carolina basketball community is grieving the death of Sheremy Dillard, a girls basketball coach and teacher who was found dead at her home in Raleigh. Police have identified her boyfriend, Rickey Harper, as a suspect and charged him with first-degree murder, turning a heartbreaking loss into a case that has shaken the schools and people who knew her best.
Around the campuses where Dillard worked, the response has been immediate and deeply personal, with school statements mourning her loss and offering support to students, families and staff. For a community that so often measures its pride in the lives it shapes as much as the games it wins, Dillards death has left a painful silence that will not be easy to fill. [Read more 🡒]
North Carolina Frontcourt Faces One Big Question Against The ACCs Best
North Carolinas frontcourt is suddenly one of the more intriguing units in the ACC, but also one of the least proven. Under new coach Michael Malone, the Tar Heels added a wave of new talent to help reshape the paint, bringing in Sayon Keita and Alexandros Samodurov alongside a group that is supposed to give the program more size and skill up front.
The challenge is not whether the pieces look promising on paper, but how quickly they can be turned into a reliable rotation against the leagues most established frontcourts. Duke brings depth and talent, Louisville has a mix of defensive and perimeter options, and Virginia remains the standard for cohesion, so North Carolinas question is as much about readiness as upside, with the final composition of that group still carrying some real intrigue. [Read more 🡒]