Mark Richt says Max Johnson has 'same skill set' of Sam Howell, Drake Maye

North Carolina continues its quarterback lineage with a new face in 2024, veteran signal-caller Max Johnson.

Longtime college football coach and analyst Mark Richt is predicting that Mack Brown and the Tar Heels to go far in 2024, and explained why Johnson’s talent might be on par with some of UNC’s most recent gunslingers.

“Max Johnson, the new quarterback extraordinaire. You had [Sam] Howell, you had [Drake] Maye. Max Johnson is right in the same line,” Richt said during the 2024 ACC football schedule release. “He’s got the same skill set. This cat is unreal.

“His little brother, [Jake Johnson], who’s a big brother, a 6-foot-4 tight end, one of the best in the country. The Johnson and Johnson combination is going to take over. … The team that’s a dark horse to win the league, hands down, the North Carolina Tar Heels, baby.”

Across four seasons with the LSU Tigers and the Aggies, Max Johnson has thrown for 5,853 yards and 47 touchdowns while completing 60.5 percent of his passes. He signed with LSU as part of the Class of 2020 and was the Tigers’ starter in 2021, throwing for 27 touchdowns during Ed Orgeron’s final season as head coach.

Following that season, he entered the transfer portal and joined his brother, Jake Johnson, at Texas A&M. He played in 12 games for the Aggies during his two years in College Station, serving as a part-time starter. 

For Jake Johnson, who is also transferring from Texas A&M, hauled in four touchdowns on 24 recptions for 235 yards for the Aggies during 2023 after only catching one pass during his true freshman season in 2022.

Now, they’ll team up once again but this time in Chapel Hill where they’ll look to take the ACC out from under favorites Clemson and Florida State during the 2024 season.

As was announced on Wednesday, the Johnson brother’s first task in Carolina blue will be a Thursday night matchup on Aug. 29 against Minnesota on the road. They’ll begin ACC play on the road against ACC rival Duke during Week 5.

Coincidentally, North Carolina will not play a game outside of its home state until Oct. 26 when they travel to fave Virginia during Week 9 on Oct. 26. Beginning against the Cavaliers, three of UNC’s next four games — including at Flordia State — will be on the road before wrapping up the regular season in Chapel Hill against rival NC State.