Where do UNC's 2026 quarterbacks land in ESPN's tiered rankings?

The 2026 UNC football season is rapidly approaching, with Game One set for Saturday, August 29 at 12 p.m. against TCU in Ireland.

North Carolina replenished its roster with transfer portal additions on both sides of the football, most notably at quarterback. Wisconsin transfer Billy Edwards will compete with 4-star recruit Travis Burgess for the starting job, as Taron Dickens previously de-committed and opened a spot on the Tar Heels‘ depth chart.

In ESPN’s tiered ranking of all 138 FBS quarterback situations, UNC lands at Tier 12 with Cincinnati (JC French IV, Samaj Jones), Tennessee (George MacIntrye, Faizon Brandon) and ACC rival Clemson (Christopher Vizzina, Tait Reynolds).

Edwards, Burgess and their Tier 12 counterparts are ranked middle-of-the-road, with 13 tiers below them. This means expectations aren’t high, but instead plenty to prove.

Edwards began his career at Maryland, enjoying his best season in 2024 with 2,881 passing yards, 15 passing touchdowns, 150 rushing yards and five more scores on the ground. An injury prematurely ended Edwards’ time at Wisconsin, so Chapel Hill becomes his chance to re-win a starting quarterback gig.

The highlight of Burgess’ high school career came in 2024, when he led Grayson to the Georgia 6A State Championship as a junior. Burgess threw for 2,225 yards and 23 touchdowns that season, added a dual-threat ability with 596 rushing yards and four more scores.

North Carolina also returns Au’Tori Newkirk and welcomes Miles O’Neill (Texas A&M) from the transfer portal. As the Tar Heels progress throughout their offseason, expect Bill Belichick to make a final decision on his next starting QB, who’ll be crucial to 2026 success.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC football: Billy Edwards, Travis Burgess in ESPN’s 12th QB tier