UNC names Billy Edwards Jr. starting QB for TCU opener
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- Billy Edwards Jr. was named UNC's starting QB for the opener vs TCU in Ireland, winning a close battle with Texas A&M transfer Miles O'Neill, who has familiarity with new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino
- Edwards, 23, earned a sixth year of eligibility after a medical redshirt at Wisconsin, where he was hurt on a noncontact play in the Badgers' season opener last year; he originally redshirted at Wake Forest in 2021
- Edwards started at Maryland in 2024, throwing for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns, and led a 29-28 upset of USC with 373 yards and two TDs on 39-of-50 passing plus the winning 3-yard run with 53 seconds remaining
- Miles O'Neill, a 6-5 redshirt sophomore from Marblehead, Massachusetts, appeared in eight games over two seasons at Texas A&M with 12 career completions for 171 yards and two touchdowns
- UNC opens with one of the toughest early-season schedules in college football, playing at Clemson on Sept. 19 and hosting Notre Dame on Oct. 3 after the TCU opener
- The Tar Heels are attempting to avenge last year's 48-14 season-opening loss to TCU
Why it matters: Edwards gives UNC a 23-year-old, fifth-year veteran with Power Four starting experience across Maryland and Wisconsin — meaningful continuity for an opener in Dublin and a brutal four-game stretch that also includes Clemson and Notre Dame. The close decision over O'Neill signals UNC's staff wasn't willing to entrust the job to a younger arm with just 12 career completions, even with Petrino's familiarity in O'Neill's corner.
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