Passer Rating vs EPA: Which Tells You More?
Why we rank quarterbacks by EPA per dropback, and what passer rating still gets right.
Read Article →North Carolina Tar Heels Quarterbacks and Receivers
ACC. Starting quarterbacks by year: 2026: Billy Edwards Jr.; 2025: Gio Lopez, Max Johnson; 2024: Jacolby Criswell, Conner Harrell, Max Johnson; 2023: Drake Maye.
North Carolina Starting Quarterbacks and Receivers by Season
College starts are inferred: the team's first passer in each game.
2026 North Carolina Target Tree
| Player | Pos | Tgt | Rec | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jelani Thurman | TE | 29 | 16 | 233 | 3 |
| Jordan Shipp | WR | 25 | 20 | 273 | 0 |
| Mason Humphrey | WR | 10 | 3 | 38 | 0 |
| Trech Kekahuna | WR | 9 | 6 | 71 | 0 |
| Shamar Easter | TE | 9 | 5 | 47 | 1 |
| C.J. Sadler | WR | 9 | 5 | 86 | 0 |
| Benjamin Hall | RB | 7 | 4 | 42 | 2 |
| Carson Sneed | TE | 2 | 1 | 11 | 0 |
| Jaylen McGill | RB | 2 | 1 | 20 | 0 |
| Demon June | RB | 2 | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| Kymistrii Young | WR | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Crew Davis | RB | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
2026 North Carolina Games
| Week | Opponent | Result | Quarterback | Cmp-Att | Yds | TD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Week 1 | at TCU | W 15-10 | Billy Edwards Jr. | 15-27 | 222 | 0 | 0 |
| Week 2 | vs east tennessee state | W 35-3 | Billy Edwards Jr. | 18-26 | 266 | 2 | 0 |
| Week 3 | at CLEM | L 20-28 | Billy Edwards Jr. | 13-30 | 135 | 1 | 1 |
| Week 5 | vs ND | L 26-37 | Billy Edwards Jr. | 17-28 | 208 | 3 | 2 |
2026 North Carolina Connections
| QB → Receiver | Tgt | Cmp | Yds | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Jelani Thurman | 29 | 16 | 233 | 3 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Jordan Shipp | 25 | 20 | 273 | 0 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Mason Humphrey | 10 | 3 | 38 | 0 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Trech Kekahuna | 9 | 5 | 61 | 0 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → C.J. Sadler | 9 | 5 | 86 | 0 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Shamar Easter | 7 | 4 | 33 | 1 |
| Billy Edwards Jr. → Benjamin Hall | 7 | 4 | 42 | 2 |
QBS BLOG · PASSING QUESTIONS · MINDSET
All Posts →Understanding the Throw.
What the box score cannot tell you about the people behind the pass.
What CPOE Means, and How ACE Builds on It
Completion percentage over expected gives credit for difficult completions. Here is how ACE measures it.
Read Article →Why Sacks Belong Partly to the Quarterback
A sack is the rush, the line and the decision. Why our dropback stats count them.
Read Article →FROM THE A-GAME PODCAST
Listen to the Episode ↗10 Mind-Body Performance Recovery Tools Backed By Science
Learn the break down of ten mind-body recovery tools, each backed by science, including how and when to use them to perform at your peak.