Why UNC Football Should Start Evaluating Other QBs

The North Carolina Tar Heels are in preparation mode for their bowl-deciding matchup against the Louisville Cardinals. They should also be in that same mode for the quarterback room.

As the Tar Heels season begins to dwindle, with a chance to play an extra game in December, the evaluation of the roster becomes key. The transfer portal discussion will begin to flare up, and at some point, opportunities must arise for certain players on the depth chart.

That includes the quarterbacks, led by sixth-year senior Billy Edwards Jr. With three games remaining, we know our answer with Edwards, but it's time to get some for the other signal-callers in the room.

Edwards UNC — Nov 7, 2026; East Hartford, Connecticut, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. (9) on th field against the UConn Huskies at Pratt & Whitney Stadium at Rentschler Field. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Edwards Is Who He Is

The Tar Heels quarterback has thrown just one interception in the last three games, playing some of his best and most productive football of his career. However, he has a limited ceiling as a passer, and sometimes the offense tends to do the same with him under center. At this point, Edwards is who he is.

Edwards won't be a hero most of the time. He struggles against pressure, syncing his upper- and lower-half mechanics that could lead to more accurate throws, and is dealing with a fractured pinky in his right hand that has clearly affected his throws at times. There are physical limitations that play a role as well, even when he has been productive in recent weeks.

GET READY TO COMPETE

Pick your champion (you can change it later). We’ll email you when brackets open.

No purchase necessary. 50 U.S./D.C. 18+. Entry opens 3PM ET Dec 6, 2026 and closes 8PM ET Dec 18, 2026. Void where prohibited.See for complete details. The College Football Playoff (CFP) is not a sponsor or administrator of this contest.

O'Neil UNC — Oct 24, 2026; Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Miles O'Neill (8) throws a pass during warm ups before the game against Syracuse Orange at Kenan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

At some point, whether this weekend, next week in Charlottesville, or in the regular-season finale against NC State, head coach Bill Belichick and offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino must begin evaluating the backups of Miles O'Neil and freshman Travis Burgess.

What The Backups Could Bring To The Table

The realism of O'Neil and Burgess starting is unlikely, but I wouldn't say it should be far-fetched with three games to go. Edwards isn't getting benched anytime soon, and I'm not saying anything of the sort.

Burgess UNC — Oct 10, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Travis Burgess (3) arrives the the stadium to play the Pittsburgh Panthers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

What Petrino needs to do is at least play O'Neil or Burgess, who can still preserve his redshirt, at least one series in the coming weeks to get an idea of what each quarterback could bring to the table. We know O'Neil has a big arm with prototypical size, while Burgess has impressive arm talent and athleticism.

I want to see the Tar Heels attempt to get all three quarterbacks on the field during the next three games, or at least one if it is a serious blowout. North Carolina could benefit long-term from competition squarely between O'Neil and Burgess in the spring and next summer, but getting more data from the young quarterbacks to get a baseline for what they could do in live-fire environments.

Add us as a preferred source on Google