Evaluating North Carolina's Starting Quarterback Situation

Belichick's Thoughts

• “They’re all a little bit different," Belichick began. "[Taron] Dickens isn’t here, so we’ll see what that is. Miles [O’Neill] had an outstanding high school career at the Hun School, went to Texas A&M, didn’t get a lot of playing time there, and he’ll get an opportunity here."

• “Billy Edwards [Jr.] has played a lot, had a really good year at Maryland in 2024," Belichick continued. "Similar to Max Johnson, was hurt early in the season last year like Max was in 2024, and so this is his extra year, and he’s excited to start here and see what that brings."

• “And then Tori [Au’Tori Newkirk] with a year under his belt after a good freshman season," Belichick explained. "Tori didn’t get here until June last year, so you know, he was a little bit behind from that standpoint, but he’s worked hard and caught up. And you know, he’ll be competitive as well. And Travis [Burgess] is coming along. We’ll see how that goes, but he’s doing more each day, and so we’ll see how that all plays out."

Main Takeaways

North Carolina's success will be heavily dependent on quarterback play, and quite frankly, Belichick's acquisitions at that position have been underwhelming. The only option that provides a glimpse of hope for the Tar Heels is Burgess, who is clearly the most talented quarterback on the roster.

If North Carolina wants to even have a chance of turning things around in 2026, Burgess needs to establish himself as the clear starting option. The sooner Burgess earns the starting job, the better. Training camp is set to start in a couple of months, which will be a pivotal time for the 6-foot-3, 194-pound quarterback to prove his spot. As mentioned, North Carolina needs steady quarterback play, and Belichick's fate will be determined by how the Tar Heels fare in 2026.