By R.L. Bynum
North Carolina’s offensive reset and quarterback shuffle did not begin with Bobby Petrino’s arrival.
The 2025 season under offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens never stabilized. The Tar Heels struggled to find an offensive rhythm, and the quarterback situation remained unsettled. By the end of a 4–8 season, the direction of the unit was no longer defensible. Coach Bill Belichick dismissed Kitchens and the transition began.
Gio Lopez transferred to Wake Forest, Max Johnson to Georgia Southern and Bryce Baker to Virginia Tech. Soon after the transfer portal opened, North Carolina’s quarterback room was stripped down to returning sophomore Au’Tori Newkirk.
That set into motion a complete offensive reset.
Belichick’s hiring of Petrino, who brought offensive genius but also plenty of baggage, finally became official on Friday. The move formalized a philosophical shift, and the quarterback room was reconstructed. UNC went from relying on a 5–11 quarterback in Lopez, who often struggled to see over the line, to four quarterbacks 6–3 or taller with stronger arms.
Billy Edwards Jr., a 6–3, 216-pound senior, is transferring from Wisconsin with the most extensive résumé in the group. In 28 games, the first three seasons at Maryland, Edwards threw for 3,435 yards, 19 touchdowns and a 126.8 passer rating, running for 375 yards. He missed nearly all of last season after suffering a knee injury in the Badgers’ opener.
His experience operating structured offenses and managing game situations positions him as the likely leader entering spring practice.
Miles O’Neill, a 6–5, 200-pound redshirt sophomore, is transferring from Texas A&M with a different profile and a notable prior connection.
Petrino was involved in recruiting O’Neill to Texas A&M, giving him familiarity with O’Neill’s skill set even though the two never worked together on staff. In limited SEC action, O’Neill completed 60% of his career passes (12 of 20) for 171 yards and two touchdowns in eight games.
While his statistical output remains modest, his arm strength and willingness to attack vertically present a contrasting option in Petrino’s system.
Incoming freshman Travis Burgess, 6–4, 193, enters spring practices viewed less as a short-term solution and more as a developmental evaluation.
Newkirk, 6–3, 220, returns as the lone quarterback with direct experience in Chapel Hill, going 3 of 6 for 23 yards, one touchdown and one interception in limited time last season. After navigating the instability of 2025, Newkirk provides institutional knowledge and familiarity with the program’s expectations.
Spring practice might not be as much about naming a starter as establishing separation.
Rather than a two-man race, spring ball is shaping up as a layered evaluation, with the staff determining not only who can start in 2026 but also how many viable options the offense can realistically support.
Unlike last spring, when Lopez had not yet committed to UNC, all of the quarterback candidates will participate.
The quarterback competition will remain fluid through the spring and into summer workouts, but the framework is now in place. Unlike a year ago, North Carolina’s offense is no longer searching for answers on the fly.
The Tar Heels enter spring ball with multiple quarterbacks, distinct skill sets, and a coordinator whose system is designed to adapt rather than fracture under competition. The result may not be immediate certainty, but it offers something the program lacked in 2025: a clear, structured path forward.
Photo via umterps.com
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