What are UNC's weakest position groups heading into the 2026 campaign?

Much like the previous season, North Carolina is navigating major adjustments to its roster.

However, following a frustrating 4-8 run in 2025, head coach Bill Belichick has adjusted his approach, making these changes out of pure necessity rather than by preference.

The Tar Heels have overhauled a significant portion of their offense, parting ways with their previous running back group and standout wide receiver Jordan Shipp . While Michael Lombardi guided the offensive direction last year, the duty now transitions to incoming offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino , who brings a proven history of developing dynamic, high-scoring units.

On the other side of the ball, the defensive strategy relied partly on new transfer acquisitions, but continuity remains high as the full defensive staff returns. This allows several standard rotational players from last year to step into more prominent roles while maintaining a familiar defensive identity.

As the start of fall camp draws near, evaluating which position group will prove to be the most reliable is top of mind.

After looking at the strongest position groups on UNC’s roster, let’s take a look at its weakest position groups.

Quarterback

North Carolina’s biggest weakness last year was the quarterback position, and it will remain so this season.

The position is expected to be led by Billy Edwards , who is recovering from a season-ending injury sustained early in the year—marking the second consecutive season he has faced this setback. Aside from him, the only quarterbacks on the roster with any game experience are Miles O’Neill and Au’Tori Newkirk, though their playing time has been limited entirely to garbage time.

This unit would have been stronger had it not been for the departure of record-breaking Western Carolina transfer portal target Taron Dickens, who left the program after the conclusion of spring camp.

Offensive Line

The offensive line has a lot of questions, and for good reason.

For starters, Austin Banfield is the returning starter from last season. Christo Kelly returns, but he hardly played because of injury. He is the only other lineman with more than 20 starts, but that was at the FCS level with Holy Cross, where he was a two-time All-Patriot League selection.

Every other player on the offensive line is a newcomer with little to no experience playing at the FBS level. However, the influx of new offensive linemen is largely due to graduation and, of course, the transfer portal.

However, last year’s offensive line was pitiful, as the Tar Heels only rushed for 105.3 yards per game, which ranked 120th nationally.

Linebacker

While it’s not a concern like quarterback and offensive line, UNC losing its top two tacklers in linebackers Andrew Simpson (graduation) and Khmori House (transferred to Arkansas) will hurt significantly. Also, Mikai Gbayor (also lost to graduation) provided much-needed experience and depth coming off the bench.

While UNC brought in Peyton Seelmann (Richmond) and veteran Derek McDonald (Syracuse) through the portal, it is hard to replace a versatile player like House and a player like Simpson, who has experience playing in big games like the College Football Playoff.

This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: What are UNC's weakest position groups heading into the 2026 campaign?

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