You just had a feeling UNC head coach Bill Belichick was going to draw a crowd at ACC Media Days, with his starting quarterback decision, of course, being a major topic of conversation. For all of you expecting Belichick to spill the beans before fall camp gets here, you were hit with some pretty disappointing news.
That's because Belichick doubled down in saying that no final decision has been made, leaving the door open for an open competition between veteran transfer signal-caller Billy Edwards Jr., and touted 4-star freshman QB Travis Burgess. While Belichick is letting this play out, we strongly believe he's just delaying a simple decision that's right in front of him: rocking with Edwards.
Bill Belichick when asked this morning if there's a leader in UNC's quarterback battle:
— Spencer Haskell (@sdhaskell68) July 17, 2026
"There's no leader in the clubhouse right now, everybody's out on the course."
Bill Belichick shouldn't hesitate in naming Billy Edwards Jr. UNC's starting QB
Let's make the case for Edwards here. Just two seasons ago, he tossed for nearly 2,900 yards and 15 touchdowns. He entered the transfer portal after that breakout fall, eventually signing to play for Luke Fickell and Wisconsin. Unfortunately, disaster struck for Edwards, as he suffered a knee injury in the first half of his UW debut, and he never fully recovered.
He finished last season with 113 passing yards, which no one expected. He was robbed of being a stud for Wisconsin due to his serious injury, which opened the door for him to once again enter the portal, this time leaving Madison. Yes, the injury concern is there, but Edwards has proven in the past what he can do as a quality starter, as no one should forget the success he had with Maryland.
He instantly provides the quarterback room with a veteran presence, and something tells us his Chapel Hill story has the potential to end much differently than that of Gio Lopez - Lopez will always go down as an NIL bust for the Heels.
On the flip side of things, there are plenty of people who are making the case for Burgess to take over the offense as a true freshman, which we fully understand. Burgess has arrived at UNC as the No. 9 2026 quarterback in the country, just oozing with potential.
That's exciting for the future, but time and time again in college football we've seen true freshman signal-callers start too early, struggle, and then their confidence is impacted in a negative way. After a brutal debut season leading UNC too, Belichick is in need of a bounce-back campaign. Edwards will give him the best opportunity to have one.
Burgess would also benefit incredibly from taking his first year on campus to learn the offense, and have a QB with Edwards' experience to take him under his wing. With Edwards out of eligibility after this campaign, Burgess could take over as a second-year freshman and not have to worry about being the savior for the Tar Heels right away.
This will ultimately be Belichick's decision, and he's not tipping his hand either way. The season-opener vs. TCU on Aug. 29 keeps sneaking up on us, but a final QB decision won't come until the start of fall camp at the earliest. We hope Edwards gets the nod, but no one knows if that will be the case or not. Apparently, not even Belichick knows how this QB battle will shape out.
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