North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell makes NFL draft announcement

North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell has declared for the NFL draft, he announced Saturday via Instagram. In a three-minute long video, the junior gave a heartfelt farewell to the Tar Heels.

“Dear Carolina, my three years here have been the best years of my life for so many reasons,” Howell said in the video. “The relationships I’ve built here are ones I will cherish forever and the memories will certainly last forever. …With that being said, I am excited to announce that I’ll be entering the 2022 NFL draft. I’ll forever be grateful for my time here at North Carolina and all the people who made it special. Chapel Hill will always hold a special place in my heart.

“I don’t know exactly what the future holds, but I’m hopeful and know that whatever it may be, it’ll be good.”

Howell finished his college career with 10,283 yards passing, 92 touchdowns and 23 interceptions. He played his final game as a Tar Heel in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, throwing for 205 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, North Carolina still lost by score of 38-21 to South Carolina.

A three-year starter under Mack Brown, Howell brought plenty of success to Chapel Hill. He ends with a 21-17 overall record that includes an Orange Bowl appearance in 2020.

The junior entered 2021 as a dark horse Heisman candidate, but mostly failed to live up to the hype. Sam Howell is still considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft along with names such as Matt Corral and Kenny Pickett.

However, in the latest NFL mock draft from CBS Sports, the quarterback did not go off the board in the first round.

North Carolina finished the season with a 6-7 record, marking the first time the team ended the year below .500 under Brown. The Tar Heels open the 2022 season against Florida A&M on Aug. 27.