Coaching changes serve as a significant factor when student-athletes decide whether to enter the transfer portal or stay put at their current school.
Some guys want to stick with the coaches they've grown a bond with, while others are willing to find a new home, one that provides them an opportunity to work with a totally new coaching staff.
For former Texas A&M quarterback Miles O'Neill, he seems to enjoy playing for Bobby Petrino, which led him to follow Petrino's path to Chapel Hill this offseason.
Miles O'Neill commits to North Carolina
The UNC football program added its second quarterback transfer of this cycle, as O'Neill pledged to the Tar Heels on Tuesday afternoon. He comes to North Carolina after spending two seasons at Texas A&M.
Sources confirm Former Texas A&M QB Miles O’Neill has committed to UNC after his visit.
— Alex Agrella (@AlexAgrellaRB) January 6, 2026
The Marblehead native is the former NJ Gatorade Player of the year and will join Bill Belichick who he grew up watching him coach. pic.twitter.com/gKGthDC4yu
More on O'Neill
It's no surprise that O'Neill felt the desire to follow Petrino to Chapel Hill. During his high school recruitment, Petrino was the spearhead of Aggies' pursuit of O'Neill, playing a large role in him committing to the program.
As a backup, O'Neill played sparingly during his time in College Station, completing 12 of 20 passing attempts for 171 yards, two touchdowns and a pair of interceptions.
What this means for UNC
It was always likely that the UNC football program would bring in multiple quarterbacks during this transfer portal cycle.
After losing both Max Johnson and Bryce Baker to the portal, and the surprising development of Gio Lopez's departure as well, the Tar Heels needed some depth at the position, as O'Neill could definitely be a developmental player who Petrino could continue to groom over time.
As of now (barring no other quarterback additions), Billy Edwards Jr. appears to be the clear-cut favorite to start for the UNC football program come opening day. O'Neill, along with returner Au'Tori Newkirk, will likely challenge for playing time, while highly-touted freshman Travis Burgess will also likely factor in once he's fully recovered from a season-ending injury he suffered this past season at the high school level.
Would another quarterback move be surprising? Probably not.
Is one likely to happen? We'll have to wait and see.
For now, we might be looking at what the UNC football program's quarterback room will look like officially for the 2026 season.