Bill Belichick's new UNC quarterback lands a middling national ranking, raising questions about the Tar Heels' immediate turnaround hopes.
North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is hoping for better quarterback play than he got out of is team in 2025 when Gio Lopez was the main starter.
Lopez is with Wake Forest this season, hoping to help the Demon Deacons compete for a bowl game in the upcoming season.
Belichick is hoping for a major turnaround in Chapel Hill this fall after his Tar Heels finished 2025 with a disappointing 4-8 record. That wasn't what anyone expected for Belichick, a six-time Super Bowl champion head coach.
However, the college game is different than the NFL. Belichick is learning how to build his roster. In 2026, former Wisconsin Badgers quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. is expected to be tasked with leading the offense.
Brad Crawford of CBS Sports ranked Edwards as the No. 55 quarterback in the nation and the No. 14 signal caller in the ACC.
"Belichick's quarterback room is entirely new in 2026 with transfers and freshmen, none more important than this addition from Wisconsin by way of Maryland," Crawford wrote.
"Edwards was supposed to be the Badgers' QB1 last fall, but was lost for the season with a knee injury in the opener. He went 7-7 overall at Maryland as a starter over a three-year stretch."
Belichick will need his coaching staff to develop Edwards this offseason. He stressed the need to develop players before spring football.
"Every day is development — for coaches, players, and everybody else," Belichick said via Yahoo Sports. "Every part of the football program is development: offseason program, practice, walkthroughs, film sessions.
"We’ll take it one day at a time... That’s what we do: develop players and develop the team."
It remains to be seen how Edwards will lead UNC. But it doesn't appear like Crawford think the young quarterback will be able make a giant leap before the fall.
At No. 55, North Carolina would have a decent starter, but one of the worst in the ACC.
That could be a problem for the Tar Heels.
After finishing 4-8 last season, Belichick needs to turn this team into a bowl winner. That could be hard without a surefire quarterback.