Two Triangle ACC programs will begin the 2026 season with sixth-year transfers behind center. Duke coach Manny Diaz has named San Jose State transfer Walker Eget the Blue Devils’ starting quarterback, while Billy Edwards Jr. has won the job at North Carolina and will lead the Tar Heels into Saturday’s season opener against TCU in Ireland.
Different programs and different circumstances, but both are betting on extensive college experience at the sport’s most important position.
Eget wins Duke’s quarterback competition
Eget arrives at Duke after throwing for 3,051 yards and 17 touchdowns at San Jose State last season while completing 59 percent of his passes.
The sixth-year quarterback won a competition that included redshirt freshman Dan Mahan, a former Burlington Williams standout who joined Duke as part of its 2025 recruiting class.
Eget will get his first start for the Blue Devils when Duke opens the season against Tulane on Saturday, Sept. 5. Duke is the defending ACC champion and is replacing start quarterback Darian Mensah, who transferred to Miami.
Edwards gets the call for UNC
North Carolina won’t have to wait as long to see its new quarterback in action, and the new offense he’ll be leading.
Edwards will start Saturday when the Tar Heels face TCU in Ireland in one of the marquee games of college football’s Week 0 schedule.
The veteran won a close competition with Texas A&M transfer Miles O’Neill, with freshman Travis Burgess and redshirt freshman Au’Tori Newkirk also in the mix. Edwards will be running an attack designed by noted new offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino, who has been brought in to jump start an offense that ranked near the bottom of the FBS last season.
Edwards’ college journey began at Wake Forest in 2021 before stops at Maryland and Wisconsin. He received a sixth year of eligibility after his 2025 season at Wisconsin ended with an injury suffered on a noncontact play in the season opener.
Now he’ll get another opportunity to start, this time with the Tar Heels.
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Two veteran QBs, two new starts in the Triangle
Duke and North Carolina took different paths to their quarterback decisions, but both ultimately landed on experience.
Eget brings a 3,000-yard season with him to Durham. Edwards has been navigating college football since 2021 and has experience in multiple Power Four programs.
Both will now try to turn that experience into immediate results for new teams as another ACC season begins in the Triangle.
