With the transfer portal officially open, Bill Belichick is making his presence known quickly. After a disastrous first season as the Tar Heels’ head coach, he has no option but to scour the portal for some more players. He might be on to an intriguing prospect from Wisconsin.

North Carolina will host former Badgers quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. for a visit this Friday. He entered the portal after his career at Wisconsin was cut short due to injury. Now granted a medical redshirt, Edwards will use his last year of eligibility to play somewhere else. He was a highly touted recruit for Wisconsin because he was a veteran addition with a full year of experience as a starter for Maryland.

Edwards was a productive QB1 for the Terps, hauling in an impressive 2,881 yards, 19 TDs, and a completion rate of 65.0%. This season, he went down with a PCL injury in the opener against Miami (Ohio), which flared up at his return against Maryland. Edwards spent his first season with Wake Forest, where he redshirted. He was a 3-star recruit out of Virginia and was the 99th-best quarterback, according to Rivals.

For Bill Belichick, the QB position was a constant headache in the 2025 season. His QB1 Gio Lopez proved to be extremely underwhelming and was ultimately ruled out with an injury. His replacement, UNC veteran Max Johnson, found himself in a similar position. And Belichick has also lost a talented player in freshman QB Bryce Baker. The depth isn’t fragile yet, but the remaining players won’t receive a stamp of approval from the start.

Gio Lopez will be returning for next year, which is positive news for UNC. Belichick will also be looking at Au’tori Newkirk as a possible option, along with 2026 recruit Travis Burgess. However, the lack of experience and Lopez’s disappointing performance should prompt Belichick to add another quarterback. That probably might be why North Carolina is pushing for Billy Edwards Jr.

Now is when the Belichick factor comes into play for North Carolina. He already has a Top-20 2026 class coming in this year, which also paints UNC in a good light for Edwards. However, the veteran coach isn’t the only appeal for Edwards Jr. He will have a new offensive coordinator for next season.

The Bobby Petrino factor might come in handy for Bill Belichick to lure Billy Edwards Jr.

Billy Edwards Jr. will also be interacting with Bobby Petrino at Chapel Hill. The former Arkansas OC/interim head coach has been tabbed to be Belichick’s new right hand at offense for next season. As of publication, he hasn’t been officially announced as the new Tar Heels OC. But according to 247Sports, Petrino is already at Chapel Hill and will be involved in recruit visits. His presence will impact UNC’s efforts to recruit Billy Edwards Jr.

Petrino’s offenses have been among the better ones in the country during his career, especially his 2024 one at Arkansas. His quarterback helps the offense deploy a more vertical threat, which is where Edwards comes into play. He has recovered from his injury and will bring that much-needed QB1 experience into a new offense at Chapel Hill. With Petrino at the helm, the UNC offense is going to be an upgrade. And his success with Taylen Green is also something that can attract Edwards to UNC.

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Bill Belichick has his quarterbacks, but he needs one who brings results. Billy Edwards Jr. can make that happen if he finds some reassurance in the offensive overhaul for 2026. North Carolina presents a promising outlook for the 2026 season, but it will need the right players at the challenging positions to overcome the struggles of 2025.