Report: North Carolina to start Jacolby Criswell at quarterback vs. James Madison

North Carolina is making a change at starting quarterback for Saturday’s game against James Madison, according to a report from Matt Zenitz.

The Tar Heels will start Jacolby Criswell at quarterback against the Dukes, Zenitz reports.

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Criswell, who is a senior, is replacing Conner Harrell, who got the start last weekend against North Carolina Central.

Jacolby Criswell is in his first season back at North Carolina after transferring over from Arkansas. He completed 14 of 23 passes for 161 yards and a touchdown last week against NC Central. He also rushed for 16 yards.

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It has been an interesting year at quarterback for North Carolina. Max Johnson won the starting job during the preseason but was lost for the year in the opener against Minnesota.

With Johnson out, Criswell and Harrell have both received playing time. Harrell started at quarterback each of the past two games, but Criswell has played well in relief when given opportunities. Now he will get a chance to start his first game at North Carolina.

While Criswell is reportedly expected to start, Mack Brown said earlier this week that both quarterbacks will play.

“The plan at quarterback will be to continue to play both of them because they have different skill sets,” Brown said, “and [we’ll] just watch them as we go.”

Brown was asked Monday if the difference between Harrell and Criswell is greater than the difference between Harrell and Johnson.

“I think it’s pretty much the same,” Brown said. “If you look at Jacolby, he’s a lot like Max, and Conner’s just different than they are. So we’ll still continue to do the same stuff. Jacolby’s just played very little. … So we’re very, very inexperienced at quarterback. We’ve just got to do a great job of coaching those two young guys and build on what they do best.”

Harrell battled Max Johnson for the starting job this offseason. While Johnson, an LSU and Texas A&M transfer, ultimately got the nod for the opener against Minnesota, he broke his leg, sidelining him for the rest of the year. Since, Harrell has started the last two games, wins over Charlotte and North Carolina Central.

A dual-threat signal caller, Harrell has carried the ball 14 times, netting 42 yards and finding the end zone in Week 2 against Charlotte. He got his most run versus the 49ers — in a 38-20 victory, he completed 16-of-25 passes for 219 yards, two touchdowns and a pick, in addition to rushing for 39 yards and a score.

Criswell, meanwhile, made his way back to UNC this offseason after spending one season at Arkansas. The Morrilton, Arkansas, native logged a career-high 88 offensive snaps in 2023, per PFF. He appeared in four games, all as a backup, and completed 17-of-27 passes for 143 yards and three touchdowns, not to mention the 44 rushing yards he added to his stat line. Previously, Criswell spent the first three seasons of his college career with the Tar Heels, competing with eventual No. 3 overall pick Drake Maye for QB1 ahead of the 2022 season.