Sam Howell is the key to ending Clemson's ACC dominance

Sam Howell is heading into the 2021 campaign with a bag of expectations that could fill the length of the field at Kenan Stadium.

The North Carolina quarterback has earned this kind of praise, or pressure, depending on how it’s viewed.

ESPN College Gameday host Rece Davis is the latest to put another challenge on Howell, but this may be the biggest of them all.

According to Davis, the second-year Tar Heels’ signal caller is the key to dethroning Clemson atop the ACC.

Rece Davis says Sam Howell best quarterback in college

Rece Davis is plugged into the college football world more than most. Like his colleagues from ESPN College Gameday, Davis has made college football’s unique pageantry, style and competition his life and career. The show is one of the top-performing at ESPN.

With North Carolina’s tough week-one ACC matchup in Blacksburg inching closer by the day, Davis issued a major statement.

“I believe Sam Howell, as I sit here in late August. is the best quarterback in the country,” Davis said on the Packer and Durham show. “And if you’re going to make a run at Clemson, the giant, and if you’re going to make a run at breaking into that College Football Playoff tier, having the best quarterback is a great place to start.”

Phil Steele has Sam Howell as No.2 college QB

After a single freshman campaign with his four top playmakers gone to the NFL, Howell continues to get ranked near the top, if not at the top, when smart football minds break down the best signal-callers in college this season.

There’s an obvious reason Phil Steele has thrived for so many college football seasons, never adapting to social media trends or fancy digital strategies.

In his iconic annual magazine, the college football guru ranked Howell as the No. 2 NFL prospect right now. Before the pressure-filled season begins with all new skill players around him.

That is certainly telling as Steele is the best projector of future success in business.

From day one, Howell put himself firmly in the conversation to go number one overall once draft-eligible. A starter from his first day on campus, Howell excels at many things. He has impressive ball placement, an electrifying arm, stout intelligence and enough athleticism to make plays with his legs. His ability to do it all makes him a coveted prospect.

Perhaps, those attributes led Davis to make his bold assertion of Howell. But can Howell cash the check Davis and others are writing for him?