UNC Quarterback Competition Enters Training Camp

Less than two weeks before training camp begins, North Carolina finds itself in a familiar position at quarterback — sort of. Following last year’s quarterback carousel featuring Gio Lopez, Max Johnson and Au’Tori Newkirk, the Tar Heels enter 2026 with a revamped quarterback room led by transfers Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland) and Miles O’Neill (Texas A&M), alongside returning Newkirk and true freshman Travis Burgess. At Friday’s ACC Kickoff in Charlotte, Bill Belichick claimed that none of the four quarterbacks had separated themselves in the race to become UNC’s starter, meaning training camp will once again open with a quarterback competition taking center stage. “We’ll see how the competition goes — all four of those guys have strong points and different things to offer,” Belichick said. Edwards arrives in Chapel Hill with the most collegiate experience of the group, entering his sixth season of college football after battling injuries across stops at Wake Forest, Maryland and Wisconsin. In 2024, Edwards finished with the fifth most passing yards in the Big Ten as he threw for 2,881 yards and 15 touchdowns during his redshirt junior season with the Terrapins. O’Neill, meanwhile, comes to North Carolina after spending two seasons at Texas A&M, where he threw for 171 career yards across eight appearances after entering college as a top-25 quarterback prospect according to the Rivals Industry Ratings. Burgess, another blue-chip recruit out of Grayson (Ga.) High School, enters his freshman season after suffering a torn ACL last September. He participated in spring practice in a limited capacity before Belichick confirmed Friday that the 6-foot-4 freshman is in a good position heading into training camp. Newkirk, the lone returning quarterback, enters his redshirt freshman season after making two appearances in 2025 against Richmond and NC State, throwing for 23 yards and a touchdown during garbage time duty. “Billy (Edwards) brings experience, Miles (O’Neill) is athletic, Travis (Burgess) is young with an arm and Tori (Newkirk) can do everything,” Jordan Shipp said. “Everybody can do a lot of different things that can help us win football games.” While North Carolina once again enters training camp without a clear-cut starter under center, this year’s competition carries a much different outlook than it did a year ago. Last summer, UNC’s two primary contenders entered training camp without taking a single spring practice snap in Chapel Hill. Lopez spent the spring at South Alabama before transferring to North Carolina in April, while Johnson missed spring practice as he recovered from the fractured femur he suffered the previous season. This time, the circumstances are much different. After the NCAA eliminated the spring transfer portal window last September, every quarterback competing for the starting job participated in all 15 of North Carolina’s spring practices, giving each candidate valuable experience and familiarity in Bobby Petrino’s offense before training camp kicks off on July 30. “They all have a good spring under their belt, knowing the offense and being comfortable with the terminology and different options in the offense,” Belichick said. “We’ll see how they do with the competition in training camp. “When I say we’re way ahead of where we were last year, that would be a good example of it.” Belichick waited until five days before North Carolina’s 2025 opener against TCU to name his starting quarterback. Based on what he said Friday, this year’s competition appears poised to stretch deep into August as well. “Everybody’s gotten an equal opportunity, and we’ll see how things sort out now as we get closer to the season,” Belichick said. “There’s no leader in the clubhouse right now. Everybody’s out on the course.”