Mack Brown addresses filling leadership void created by Sam Howell leaving for the NFL

Most of the time, losing a star quarterback to the NFL creates a sizable gap in any college football program’s core. In the case of Mack Brown and the North Carolina Tar Heels, the loss of Sam Howell certainly hurts – but it’s not the end of the world, according to Brown.

“When you start looking at leadership, we’ve got 15 guys on the Leadership Committee that were chosen by their teammates. Here’s three of them. You start looking at British Brooks,” Brown said. “British is a young guy that got into school, earned a scholarship to be the special teams player that he has become, and then became special teams captain, and then last year really jumped out as a running back at the end of the year and took over the starting position at running back this spring.”

Brooks rushed for 295 yards and scored four touchdowns on 31 touches in 2021 after his late-season extended role in Brown’s offense. While his numbers don’t pop out right away – his 9.5 yards per rush is one of the best marks in the country despite his light workload.

Being able to set the example of working from undesirable to the primary running back at North Carolina is something that younger players can look toward for motivation. While Brooks’ path to the starting lineup is the feel good story everyone loves – he’s not the only one that Brown expects to step up in a big way this season.

“Josh Downs caught over 100 balls last year. Arguably the best receiver in the country, in a year where we had the sacks and had some issues,” Brown said. “Those two guys have stepped up on offense and in special teams as leaders. And then you have Cedric Gray who last year played over 900 plays from Charlotte. A guy that, like British, wasn’t highly recruited, but now he is one of the best players on our team and best leaders on our team.”

PFF ranks Downs as the No. 5 wide receiver returning to college football this season, while Gray notched 99 total tackles, 2.5 sacks and two interceptions from the linebacker position last year.

“These guys – and a bunch of other guys like them, we have some really good grad transfers, older guys,” Browns said. “They’re going to have to be the ones that help some of the talented young guys step up and play with confidence. That’s why these three are here [representing UNC at ACC Media Days] today.”