Bill Belichick and the North Carolina Tar Heels seem prepared to make a rather questionable move at quarterback.
The North Carolina Tar Heels did not get the type of production from the quarterback position that they had hoped for in 2025.
North Carolina bagged Gio Lopez in the transfer portal last year, hoping that the South Alabama product would step up under center.
That didn't happen, as Lopez threw for just 1,747 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. He definitely looked better during the second half of the season, but overall, Lopez was a considerable disappointment in Year 1 at Chapel Hill.
Lopez is currently slated to be the Tar Heels' starting quarterback next fall, but with the transfer portal open, UNC is aiming to bring in some competition.
On that note, it seems that Bill Belichick may have found whom he feels is a potential answer, as North Carolina has arranged a meeting with former Wisconsin signal-caller Billy Edwards.
But is Edwards the right solution?
The Springfield, Va. native played in just two games this past season due to a severe PCL sprain he suffered early in the year, going 7-for-16 with 113 yards.
Billy Edwards. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.Edwards began his collegiate career at Maryland in 2022 and spent three years with the Terrapins, with his most action coming in 2024 when he threw for 2,881 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 65 percent of his passes. He also punched in five rushing scores.
The 6-foot-3, 228-pound quarterback has been largely unimpressive throughout his collegiate career, and given that he is a fifth-year senior heading into 2026, he doesn't have a whole lot more room for growth.
But based on Edwards' lack of future eligibility, it seems pretty clear that North Carolina is viewing him as a potential starter next season, which doesn't speak very much in terms of how Belichick and the rest of the staff feel about Lopez.
The Tar Heels went just 4-8 in Belichick's debut campaign in 2025, suffering a handful of embarrassing blowout losses.
UNC hired Bobby Petrino to serve as offensive coordinator after the season, so we will see if Petrino — a known offensive guru — can help get things turned around in Chapel Hill.
Edwards does not seem like the freshest start North Carolina can make, though. We'll see.