Mack Brown expects great competition from North Carolina quarterbacks

Mack Brown has been the beneficiary of phenomenal play at the quarterback position since his return to North Carolina ahead of the 2019 season. Inheriting Tar Heels’ passing yards and touchdowns leader Sam Howell followed by likely top-three selection in the upcoming NFL Draft Drake Maye.

A new standard has now been set under center in Chapel Hill following five years of dominance at the position. But with spring practice starting on Tuesday, Brown in excited for the Tar Heels’ upcoming quarterback competition and a new starter emerging.

“Great competition at quarterback, we’ve been impressed with Max Johnson,” Brown said. “He’s thrown over 900 balls, he’s got a great pedigree with his Dad winning a Super Bowl. Mark Richt‘s his uncle so he’s been raised in football camps and he’s been a starter at LSU and a starter at Texas A&M.”

Johnson joined the Tar Heels this offseason through the NCAA transfer portal, transfering in as a graduate student after spending the first two seasons of his college career with the Tigers and his latest two with the Aggies.

The veteran has appeared in 30 career games and made 22 starts, completing 60.5% of his passes for 5,853 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions. Bringing plenty of experience playing college football’s premiere conference with him to Chapel Hill. But Brown made it clear that the starting job will not just be handed to him.

“And we were really impressed with some things that Conner Harrell did, so it’ll be a great competition this spring watching both of them,” Brown said. “We’re planning on both of them competing head to head for the starting job.”

Harrell has spent the past two seasons as a backup up Maye, joining North Carolina in 2022 as a three-star prospect out of Alabaster, Alabama where he was ranked the No. 29 quarterback in his recruiting class according to the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average that utilizes all four major recruiting media companies.

He appeared in five games last season and made his first career start in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against West Virginia. Where Harrell threw for 199 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions in a 30-10 loss to the Mountaineers.

Experience is clearly on Johnson’s side heading into the quarterback battle, but familiarity with the program works in Harrell’s favor. As the Tar Heel’s quarterback competition kicks off on Tuesday when spring practice begins for North Carolina.