Coming off a disappointing 4-8 record last year, North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Bill Belichick enters his second season with more pressure than he faced last season.
Belichick mostly cleaned house of the coaching staff and the roster to start fresh, but that did not help change what the program did. An early-season 48-14 loss to the TCU Horned Frogs set the tone for the rest of the year, as the team started 2- 5 and never recovered.
With his starting quarterback from last year, Gio Lopez, having transferred to Wake Forest, Belichick faces a big decision in Year 2. He needs to pick between Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards Jr., Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill, and true freshman Travis Burgess.
Bill Belichick Discusses QB Situation & What the Thinking Process Is
GettyFormer New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick on the sideline during a game.
When speaking with reporters at ACC Media Day, Belichick was asked about the process of selecting the starting quarterback for their season opener against TCU in Dublin, Ireland. It appears as though an answer may not be coming anytime soon.
“I wish I knew the answer to it now, but I don’t,” Belichick said via ESPN’s Pete Thamel.
Belichick added that a decision will come “once it becomes clear” and wants to not rush the announcement to “make a decision and then reverse field and all that.”
North Carolina struggled at quarterback last season with Lopez starting 11 of the 12 games. The Tar Heels combined for 2,202 yards and 13 touchdowns to 6 interceptions, completing 63.9% of their passes.
Examining North Carolina Tar Heels’ Choices at Quarterback in 2026
GettyCHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA – SEPTEMBER 01: Head coach Bill Belichick of the North Carolina Tar Heels looks on prior to the game against the TCU Horned Frogs at Kenan Stadium on September 01, 2025 in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Edwards was a starter at Maryland through a stretch of games in 2024, but after transferring to Wisconsin last year, he got very limited snaps. He went 7-of-16 for 113 yards last year with the Badgers before his decision to transfer again to North Carolina this time around.
O’Neill spent the last two years with the Texas A&M Aggies, but also didn’t get on the field often. In those two seasons, he completed 60% of his passes for 120 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
Burgess appears to be the first quarterback Belichick might be able to develop into the long-term starter for the Tar Heels if it all works out. He was a four-star recruit and ranked as the eighth-best quarterback at his position. Burgess picked the Tar Heels over the Arizona State Sun Devils, Boston College Eagles, Duke Blue Devils, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Pittsburgh Panthers, Virginia Tech Hokies, and more.
Among those quarterbacks, Edwards should see himself as the leader in the pack. His experience starting gives him an advantage over O’Neill and Burgess.
Belichick could also look at the young freshman to start and see how he does in the spotlight, but that comes with risk. This season is too important to Belichick and the Tar Heels to take any kind of chances like that.
It’ll go down to the wire, and the Tar Heels need to work quickly over the next month to decide on a quarterback.
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