UNC Names Billy Edwards Jr. Starting QB Over Miles O'Neill
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Billy Edwards Jr. won a close UNC quarterback competition and will start the season opener against TCU in Ireland, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.
- Edwards brings a rare sixth year of eligibility after a medical redshirt from Wisconsin, where he was injured on a noncontact play in the 2025 season opener; he previously threw for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns as Maryland's full-time starter in 2024.
- The runner-up Miles O'Neill is a 6-foot-5 redshirt sophomore from Marblehead, Massachusetts, who transferred from Texas A&M — where he had 12 career completions for 171 yards and two touchdowns across two seasons.
- Edwards' 2024 resume includes a 29-28 upset of USC in which he scored the winning touchdown on a 3-yard run with 53 seconds remaining, completing 39 of 50 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns.
- O'Neill's connection to new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino gave him familiarity with UNC's scheme, but Edwards' experience edge was decisive in the close battle.
- UNC's schedule offers no warm-up: the Tar Heels attempt to avenge last year's 48-14 season-opening loss to TCU, then play at Clemson on Sept. 19 and host Notre Dame on Oct. 3.
Why it matters: Edwards is a 23-year-old with a sixth year of eligibility and a 2,881-yard season already on his resume, which is why he wins the job over a 12-completion redshirt sophomore — a massive experience gap that matters immediately because UNC opens with TCU, Clemson, and Notre Dame in its first three games after losing 48-14 to TCU last year.
Ask SkimNews
