Drake Maye recently moved up to the pros, leaving North Carolina football with a huge question mark at the quarterback position. Filling in his shoes won't be easy. Maye led the Tar Heels to winning records in his two seasons as a starter, and the way he racked up yards made him a highly touted ACC standout, ultimately resulting in a third-overall selection during the recent NFL draft.
Nevertheless, a couple of eager candidates are willing to embrace the pressure and are currently vying to take up the reins over at Chapel Hill: Conner Harrell, Jacolby Criswell and Max Johnson. Here's a detailed rundown of Maye's potential successors.
Conner Harrell
A three-star prospect out of high school, Harrell joined the Tar Heels in 2022, making the decision to redshirt his true freshman year. He saw action in five games last season, throwing for 278 yards and two touchdowns with a 66.7 pass completion percentage.
North Carolina fans were able to get a glimpse of Harrell as a starter during the Duke's Mayo Bowl last December. Following Drake Maye's decision to opt out of the game and focus on the NFL draft, Harrell was named QB1 for the team's season-closer. His two interceptions and struggles down the stretch may lead to arguments about his lack of experience, but it can be pointed out that Harrell had insufficient protection — the quarterback was sacked seven times. Even coach Mack Brown touched on the topic postgame.
“I thought Conner competed,” Brown said, per The Daily Tar Heel's Ellen Robinson. “I didn’t think we helped him enough. We didn’t give him enough protection.”
Still, in those moments where Harrell had enough time to make a decision. flashed of upside were seen. He threw a 16-yard touchdown pass to J.J. Jones in the second quarter. Additionally, he showed dual-threat abilities, running the football on several possessions.
Speaking of his rushing capabilities, Harrell also ran for a touchdown during the season, when North Carolina took home a blowout win over Campbell back in November.
Jacolby Criswell
Next up, there's Jacolby Criswell, a familiar face among Tar Heel fans. Criswell's first three seasons were spent with North Carolina football, but he always saw action off the bench, playing behind the likes of Maye and Sam Howell. Throughout those years, the QB threw for a total of 204 yards and a touchdown while adding 133 yards and another touchdown in the rushing department. Both of his TDs took place during his sophomore season.
Criswell opted to find greener pastures in 2023, moving to Arkansas via the transfer portal. However, he wasn't able to land the QB1 slot, seeing action as KJ Jefferson's backup. In his lone season with the Razorbacks, Criswell tallied three touchdowns and 143 yards in four games.
The overall lack of playing time is evident, but in the limited minutes given to him, Criswell has provided glimpses of his strong throwing arm and an ability to run the ball with power due to his 230-pound frame at 6-foot-1.
Now a fifth-year player, he'll be returning to where it all began in hopes of finally earning that starting slot.
Max Johnson
Lastly, there's Max Johnson, who entered the college football scene as a four-star recruit in high school. The most experienced out of the three candidates, Johnson's first two collegiate seasons were spent at LSU. As a freshman in 2020, Johnson played just six games, but he was named a starter toward the end of the season. Despite limited action, the QB had a 1,000-yard season, throwing eight touchdowns and running for two more to finish off his inaugural campaign.
Johnson's next season would draw in even bigger numbers. As a full-time starter for LSU, he amassed 2,814 passing yards and 27 touchdowns with a 60.3 completion percentage and a 144.4 pass efficiency rating in 12 games. During the Tigers' victory over Central Michigan in September of 2021, Johnson threw for 372 yards and five touchdowns.
He decided to move to Texas A&M during his junior year, but a major hand injury cost him to miss the majority of the 2022 season.
Last year, Johnson took over the reins for the Aggies when Conner Weigman went down with a foot injury three games into the season. Johnson went 3-3 as a starter before he himself had to be sidelined as well because of an injury. In eight games for Texas A&M in 2023, Johnson tallied 1,452 passing yards and nine passing touchdowns.
At 6-foot-6, Johnson's height allows him to see the field and read defenses well, leading to accurate throws for receivers even in tight windows and while under pressure. He weighs 230 pounds, which is probably a big reason why he's not afraid to take hits when necessary. He can also move well for his size and run when necessary, as evidenced by his two rushing touchdowns last season.
North Carolina football's predicted starter
Looking at the resumes of all three QBs, Max Johnson emerges as the top candidate. His experience is the deal breaker here. The last two seasons may be a cause for concern when it comes to durability, but Johnson's ability to facilitate an offense for a full season will probably land him that starting role. While Harrell does show promise and may provide more versatility on the run, he still needs time to grow and mature. Criswell, on the other hand, just doesn't have enough in-game reps to match Johnson's on-field exposure.
North Carolina football has less than a month before their season opener. Their first game will be against Minnesota on August 29, and it won't be surprising to see Max Johnson calling the shots behind center.
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