As the North Carolina Tar Heels begin to prepare for the 2026 college football season, there is one question surrounding the team ahead of Bill Belichick’s second season with the program.

Last year, the quarterback fell short of the high expectations set upon the group. Luckily for the struggling fanbase, the coaching staff did an excellent job of landing potential starters in the transfer portal, which could lead to more offensive success in 2026.

Here are some of the names to keep in mind when looking at who can become the Tar Heels’ QB1:

Belichick, similar to last offseason, utilized the transfer portal in order to build up his quarterback room for the 2026 season. Here are the most notable names that signed with the Tar Heels through the portal:

After spending last year as the Badgers' backup quarterback, Billy Edwards Jr. will now be in the mix for the starting position in 2026. Prior to spending the 2025 season with Wisconsin, Edwards originally played three years at Maryland and became the starter in 2024. That season, the veteran playmaker threw for 2,881 passing yards and 15 touchdowns, while also completing 65 percent of his attempts.

Along with Edwards, North Carolina signed former Texas A&M backup Miles O’Neill this offseason. The four-star prospect in the 2024 recruiting class spent the last two seasons with the Aggies, but would not receive much playing time due to the likes of starting quarterback Marcel Reed. Still, the Marblehead, MA native has plenty of potential, standing at 6-foot-5, 220 lbs.

The most intriguing option out of this bunch, however, is Western Carolina quarterback Taron Dickens, who recently signed with the program earlier this month. Dickens jumped on the radar of many college programs after an incredible 2025 campaign, as he was the most accurate quarterback at the FCS level with a 72.4 completion percentage.

While it may be too early to tell which quarterback will have the upper hand heading into the spring, there is one quarterback who clearly fits newly-hired offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino’s system.

Throughout his time as a coach at the college level, Petrino has found success with dual-threat quarterbacks, including Baltimore Ravens’ star Lamar Jackson. With this in mind, Dickens’ ability to be a threat through the air and on the ground could separate himself from the rest of the pack.

In his last season with Western Carolina, Dickens threw for over 3,500 yards and 38 touchdowns. His dominant efforts in the passing game was complimented by his legs, as he rushed for 321 yards and one touchdown on 97 carries. Dickens’ accuracy and rushing capabilities make him an ideal fit for Petrino heading into the 2026 season.

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