Four Questions for UNC One Day Before Kickoff
Article by: Trevor Williams
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We’ve spent the last several weeks breaking down every position group on North Carolina’s roster. We’ve talked about the newcomers, the returning players, the position battles and what we expect from Bobby Petrino’s new offense. Now we’re two days away. On August 29, across the Atlantic UNC will enter Aviva stadium in Dublin for a rematch with TCU and officially begin year two of the Bill Belichick era. And for as much as we’ve learned about this team throughout the offseason, there are still some pretty big questions that need to be answered. Here are the four I’m watching the closest.
1. What Does UNC Get From Billy Edwards Jr. and Bobby Petrino?
We finally have our answer at quarterback. Billy Edwards Jr. will take the first snap for North Carolina in Dublin, and now the question shifts from who will start? to what will this offense actually look like with Edwards running Bobby Petrino’s system? Edwards was the safest bet in the quarterback competition because he has something nobody else in the room can match: experience. He has already proven he can produce at the Power Four level, throwing for 2,881 yards at Maryland in 2024. But I don't think UNC brought Bobby Petrino to Chapel Hill just to get the same Billy Edwards we saw at Maryland. The question is what Petrino can unlock in his game.
Throughout his career, Petrino has built offenses around what his quarterback does well. Edwards gives him an experienced quarterback who can throw the football but also brings another dimension with his legs, particularly in the red zone and short-yardage situations. And that's what I'm probably most interested in seeing Saturday. How aggressive will Petrino be? How much will he use Edwards in the quarterback run game? Can UNC push the football vertically? And maybe most importantly, can Edwards take care of the football and keep this offense on schedule? We spent all offseason wondering which quarterback Petrino trusted enough to lead this offense. We have that answer. Now we get to find out what Bobby Petrino has planned for him.
2. Will Steve Belichick Be Back? And If Not, Who Calls the Defense?
This is one nobody expected us to be asking two weeks before the season. Steve Belichick remains on medical leave, and Bill Belichick has said only that the program looks forward to getting him back as soon as possible. There has not been a public timetable announced for his return. Obviously, football comes second to Steve’s health. But from a football standpoint, it creates a fascinating question: Who calls the defense if Steve isn't back for TCU? And could that ultimately mean Bill takes a larger role? Just think about how crazy that sentence is. There is a legitimate possibility that North Carolina could open the 2026 season with Bobby Petrino calling the offense and Bill Belichick heavily involved in calling the defense. If I told you five years ago that Petrino and the eight-time Super Bowl champion would potentially be calling plays on opposite sides of the ball for North Carolina, would you have believed me? What a time to be covering UNC football.
3. Who Steps Up on the Offensive Line?
If there is one position group that could ultimately determine what this offense becomes, this might be it. UNC has to replace 80% of its offensive-line snaps from last season. Daniel King,
Jakai Moore, Austin Blaske, Will O’Steen and Chad Lindberg accounted for 2,951 of a possible 3,685 offensive-line snaps in 2025. That's a massive amount of experience walking out the door. There are pieces to build around. Aidan Banfield was a Freshman All-American in 2024 and should be one of the anchors of this group if he can stay healthy. Christo Kelly brings nearly 1,600 career snaps and is expected to take over at center after his 2025 season was essentially wiped out by injury. Andrew Threatt started 32 consecutive games at Charleston Southern before transferring to UNC. Then you get to tackle: Jordan Hall played the most snaps of any returning UNC offensive lineman last season and was named the Dre Bly Most Improved Offensive Player at the team banquet. Trey Blue has generated positive buzz despite having almost no college experience.
Click the photo above to watch our “Breaking Down UNC Football's 2026 Offensive Line: Stars, Questions & Expectations”
Eidan Buchanan has tremendous size and potential at 6-foot-9, 330 pounds, and Arkansas transfer JacQawn “Shaq” McRoy followed Petrino to Chapel Hill and gives UNC another massive option at 6-foot-8, 335. The talent is there. The size is certainly there. But offensive lines aren't built on paper. Five guys have to emerge, stay healthy, communicate, and become a unit. Petrino can draw up everything he wants. UNC can have weapons at receiver, running back, and tight end. The quarterback can play well. None of it matters if Carolina can't protect him or run the football. This may be the biggest question on the entire offense.
4. Can UNC Shock the College Football World?
This is the fun one. Because almost nobody outside Chapel Hill seems to believe in this team. UNC's win total has been sitting at 4.5, and the official ACC preseason media poll picked the Tar Heels 15th out of 17 teams. And after going 4-8 last season, I understand the skepticism. But... What if it clicks? What if Year two under Bill Belichick looks completely different than Year one? What if a defense that showed real improvement as last season went along takes another step? What if the additions of Peyton Seelmann, Derek McDonald, Ade Willie, Jaylen Harvey and others elevate that side of the football? And maybe the biggest what-if of all: What if Bobby Petrino does what Bobby Petrino has done throughout his career? Look at his two most recent Power Four offensive coordinator stops.
At Texas A&M, the Aggies went from 101st nationally in scoring offense before Petrino to 25th in his first season. Then came Arkansas. The Razorbacks went from 107th nationally in total offense in 2023 to 10th in Petrino's first season, increasing their production from 326.5 to 459.5 yards per game. That's a 133-yard-per-game improvement in one offseason. I'm not saying UNC is suddenly going to have a top-10 offense. I'm not predicting a College Football Playoff run. There are way too many unknowns for that. But I do think it's fair to ask: What if everyone is underestimating this team? FOX analyst Geoff Schwartz is among those taking the over on UNC's 4.5-win total, pointing specifically to the improved roster, Petrino's arrival and a defense that finished 2025 ranked 25th nationally in yards allowed per play. Maybe Edwards is exactly what Petrino needs at quarterback. Maybe this offensive line comes together. Maybe Petrino gives UNC the offensive identity it desperately lacked a year ago. Maybe this defense becomes legitimately good. And maybe year two looks a whole lot different than year one. We don't have those answers yet. But on Saturday, we'll finally start getting them. UNC. TCU. Dublin, Ireland. Football is here.