A closer look at Billy Edwards and what he adds to UNC’s offense

5 days ago 2

North Carolina landed its quarterback early in the transfer portal window, picking up former Wisconsin quarterback Billy Edwards as its first commitment.

Although he played in only two games last season for the Badgers because of injury, Edwards has already shown he can be a solid Division I quarterback after a standout 2024 season at Maryland before transferring to Wisconsin.

Let’s look at his 2024 season at Maryland, when he played nearly a full year. Because the Terrapins competed in the Big Ten, which offers stronger competition than the ACC, his production there is worth a closer look as he is expected to be the starting quarterback in 2026 after Gio Lopez transferred to Wake Forest on Wednesday.

The General Stuff

In 2024, Edwards completed 65% of his passes for 2,881 yards, with 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He ranked second in the Big Ten in passing yards per game, averaging 261.9, and recorded 142 first-down completions.

He posted four games with 300 or more passing yards and eight with at least 250. By comparison, Lopez had as many games with 300-plus passing yards as he had games with zero touchdown passes.

His best performance came in a 29-28 victory over USC, when he threw for a season-high 373 yards with two touchdown passes and one interception.

Edwards would have surpassed 3,000 passing yards if he had not been knocked out of Maryland’s 29-13 loss in the second-to-last game of the season. The injury also forced him to miss the season finale at Penn State in Happy Valley, where the Terrapins lost 44-7.

Tough Competition

One of the biggest reasons head coach Bill Belichick and his staff liked Edwards was not only because he is a veteran, but also because he started at quarterback in the rugged Big Ten Conference.

Of Maryland’s 12 games in 2024, eight came against teams that played in bowl games. Five opponents finished in the top 20 in total defense — Indiana, Oregon, Penn State, Iowa and Minnesota — and three reached the College Football Playoff: Indiana, Oregon and Penn State.

Against Indiana, Edwards threw for 289 yards and three touchdowns. The Hoosiers finished with the No. 2 defense in the country in 2024.

For most of that season, Edwards had to escape pressure behind a shaky Maryland offensive line. The Terrapins ranked 77th nationally in sacks allowed, and Edwards’ average time to throw was 2.34 seconds. The average time before a quarterback gets sacked or releases the ball is close to three seconds. Last season, Lopez averaged 2.98 seconds to throw.

That’s what happens when you play behind a suspect offensive line against some of the best defenses in the country.

Any Concerns?

There are a few.

The first concern is his decision-making over the middle of the field. On short passes between the numbers in 2024, he completed 81 of 110 attempts — a 73.6% rate — but threw only two touchdowns with six interceptions. That area is one of the most dangerous places to throw a football, but it still stands out that six of his nine interceptions last season came in that zone.

The second concern is his production on throws to the right side. On passes of 10 yards or more to that side of the field, he completed only seven of 37 attempts (18.9%) for 173 yards.

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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC Football: What Billy Edwards brings to UNC

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