According to reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Inside Carolina, quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr. has committed to head coach Bill Belichick and UNC out of the transfer portal. Edwards is the first player in the current cycle to commit to the Tar Heels out of the portal, which opened Jan. 2.
Edwards has spent time at three schools, beginning his collegiate career at Wake Forest in 2021 and redshirting that year before spending the next three seasons at Maryland. After spending the 2022 and 2023 seasons as a reserve, Edwards put together a productive season as the Terrapins’ starter in 2024 as a redshirt junior. His 262 passing yards per game ranked third in the Big Ten and he eclipsed the 300-yard mark four times, with a career-high 373 in a 29-28 home win against USC. He threw 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while rushing for five more scores.
Edwards stayed in the Big Ten in 2025 with a transfer to Wisconsin and began the season as the Badgers’ starter, but a knee injury in the first game of the season cut his campaign short. He would only appear in one more game that year, in which he re-aggravated the same injury. He would redshirt the 2025 season, meaning 2026 will be his final year of collegiate eligibility.
Edwards joins a UNC quarterback room in flux. Starter Gio Lopez reportedly plans to return in 2026, but the program is losing primary backup Max Johnson along with highly-touted freshman Bryce Baker. Third-stringer Au’Tori Newkirk has not confirmed his return to Chapel Hill, but at the time of publication has not entered his name into the transfer portal.
Featured image via Maryland Athletics
Chapelboro.com does not charge subscription fees, and you can directly support our efforts in local journalism here. Want more of what you see on Chapelboro? Let us bring free local news and community information to you by signing up for our newsletter.
Related Stories
‹
Chansky's Notebook: Sophomore SlippageUNC's schedule for the 2026 football season is out, and Art Chansky says it is very, very bad news for Bill Belichick's second year.
Schedule Set for UNC Football's 2026 SeasonThe UNC football program now has its complete schedule for the 2026 season. The ACC revealed all of the league members’ schedules Monday night. Your 2026 North Carolina Football Schedule. 🐏 🔗: https://t.co/VQdkI47r8n🎟️: https://t.co/XERIbvZEH8 pic.twitter.com/6Zb5uSn1y3 — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) January 26, 2026 UNC will open the season in Dublin, Ireland against TCU as part of […]
Here's a List of Which Transfers Have Committed to UNC Football in 2026The college football transfer portal opened Friday, Jan. 2 and closed Friday, Jan. 16. Here’s a list of players who have committed to head coach Bill Belichick and UNC out of the portal so far, with their classes for the 2026 season: QB Billy Edwards, Jr. (Most recent school: Wisconsin, redshirt senior) Ranked 3rd in […]
Several UNC Football Stars Will Return to Chapel Hill in 2026. Here's the Full List.In an era of unrestricted player movement in college football, teams are undergoing radical changes every offseason. Take UNC before the 2025 season, when the Tar Heels upended their roster and brought in 70 new players. This offseason, there is only one transfer portal window, between Jan. 2 and Jan. 16. More than two dozen […]
College Football's Transfer Portal Closed Jan. 16. Which Tar Heels Entered?The college football transfer portal opened Friday, Jan. 2 and closed Friday, Jan. 16. It was be the only transfer portal window of the year for college football, as the NCAA moved to eliminate the spring transfer window earlier this year. Players do not have to have committed to and signed with a new school […]
Chansky's Notebook: Building DepthThese days, college football recruiting is more about the money the athletes can now make in what has become a semi-pro system.
Chansky's Notebook: A Star is BornIn his second NFL season, Drake Maye has already established himself as the best quarterback that UNC football has ever produced.
UNC Football Hiring Bobby Petrino as Offensive CoordinatorUNC is hiring Arkansas’ Bobby Petrino as its next offensive coordinator. Petrino will replace Freddie Kitchens, who was fired after his lone season calling plays in 2025. It’s official! Welcome to Chapel Hill, @CoachBPetrino! 🐏🏠 🔗: https://t.co/XOaBDLO617 pic.twitter.com/gjE8D8lv6O — Carolina Football (@UNCFootball) January 9, 2026 In a statement, UNC head coach Bill Belichick called Petrino […]
Report: UNC Starting QB Gio Lopez Will Enter Transfer PortalAccording to Pete Nakos of On3 Sports, Gio Lopez, who started 11 of UNC’s 12 games at quarterback in 2025, will enter the transfer portal. Lopez’s announcement comes just a day after Carolina reportedly received a commitment from former Maryland and Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr. out of the transfer portal. Before Edwards’ commitment, Lopez […]
Report: Former Maryland, Wisconsin QB Billy Edwards, Jr. Commits to UNC FootballAccording to reports from ESPN’s Pete Thamel and Inside Carolina, quarterback Billy Edwards, Jr. has committed to head coach Bill Belichick and UNC out of the transfer portal. Edwards is the first player in the current cycle to commit to the Tar Heels out of the portal, which opened Jan. 2. Edwards has spent time […]
›
