UNC Football

North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson is out for the season after just one game.

Johnson, a senior, was carted off the field during the third quarter of Thursday's season-opener against Minnesota with a right leg injury. Per ESPN's Pete Thamel, he "underwent successful surgery in Minneapolis to repair a broken right leg on Friday."

Johnson will return to Chapel Hill in the coming days and "is expected to make a full recovery."

Johnson had a shaky start for the Tar Heels, completing 12 of 19 passes for 71 yards and an interception before the injury. He also had 10 yards on the ground and rushed for a touchdown.

Johnson started his career at LSU in 2020, coming out of high school as a 4-star recruit according to 247Sports Composite. After limited action in his freshman season, Johnson had a strong sophomore year with 2,815 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and six interceptions.

He transferred to Texas A&M ahead of the 2022 season with future Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels coming to LSU, and he once again returned to a backup role for the Aggies. Last year, he took over as Texas A&M's starter, throwing for 1,452 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions after Conner Weigman was limited to just four games with an injury.

Johnson joined the Tar Heels looking for a fresh start, and North Carolina welcomed the experienced quarterback as it looked to replace star signal-caller Drake Maye.

The Tar Heels will instead have to turn to a less experienced quarterback in sophomore Conner Harrell, who completed two of his four passes for 34 yards in Thursday's win after stepping in for Johnson.

Harrell, a 3-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247Sports Composite, saw limited reps his freshman year while playing behind Maye. He played three regular season games, throwing for 71 yards and a touchdown on 4-of-6 passing.

He then started North Carolina's bowl game against West Virginia, completing 18 of 27 passes for 199 passing yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in a 30-10 loss.

After losing a QB1 competition with Johnson over the offseason, Harrell wasn't expecting to be the starter, but now that he's under center he'll look to make the most of it.

North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson exited Thursday's game against Minnesota with an apparent injury.

The senior had his right knee twisted while taking a hit and had to be carted off the field in the third quarter, per Action Network's Brett McMurphy.

Johnson had 71 passing yards and an interception on 12-of-19 passing before leaving the game.

Johnson transferred to North Carolina after two seasons at Texas A&M. A 4-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247Sports Composite, Johnson spent his first two seasons at LSU and had a pair of productive seasons for the Tigers.

While he mostly played in a backup role for the Aggies in 2022, he was the starter for most of the season in 2023 after Conner Weigman suffered an injury that limited him to just four games. Johnson had 1,452 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions in his final year at Texas A&M.

Johnson joined the Tar Heels hoping for a strong final collegiate season, but things got off to a rough start on Thursday. The severity of the injury is not yet known.

Sophomore quarterback Conner Harrell stepped in for Johnson after he exited the game, and he'd likely be the starter should Johnson have to miss extended time.

Harrell was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247Sports Composite and played limited action behind star quarterback Drake Maye last season, throwing for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in four games.

Harrell started the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia, completing 18-of-27 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in a 30-10 loss.

The University of North Carolina is testing out "experimental suites" in the upper levels of Kenan Stadium, per Ross Martin of 247Sports and CBS.

According to Martin, the suites appear to be a temporary "proof of concept" design.

#UNC is testing out experimental suites in section 131 this year inside Kenan Stadium.

They are testing out the suites in this location with the idea to potentially add it to some other low selling, not great seats. pic.twitter.com/JiNVJBq2x7

— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) August 22, 2024

Another view of the experimental suites in section 131 of Kenan Stadium.

I don’t believe these are permanent. Proof of concept to see if they work in these locations. pic.twitter.com/a8jW8IOubp

— Ross Martin (@RossMartinNC) August 23, 2024

Kenan Stadium has undergone multiple major renovations in recent years, including the removal of the stadium's former metal bleachers in 2018. Those were replaced with individual seats, reducing the venue's capacity from 63,000 to approximately 51,000.

The football center on the north side of the stadium expanded in 2022, while the stadium itself underwent lighting upgrades last summer.

Tar Heels football drew an average of just over 50,000 fans to each home game during the 2023-24 season.

Now it looks like the university is once again experimenting with more potential updates to the stadium that has served as home field for UNC's football team since 1927.

After opening the season on the road against Minnesota, the Tar Heels are slated to play their first home game of the 2024-25 campaign on Sept. 7 against Charlotte.

Former Carolina Panthers star Cam Newton offered a strong endorsement of North Carolina's Drake Maye ahead of the 2024 NFL draft.

At the 1:05:02 mark in the newest episode of his 4th & 1 show, Newton said Maye "has the biggest upside of any quarterback in the draft." He went on to compare the Tar Heels signal-caller to the Los Angeles Chargers' Justin Herbert.

The 2015 MVP shared his reservations with Maye, in particular what he believes to be questions over his production and leadership at UNC.

The Heels climbed as high as 10th in the polls in 2023 before dropping five of their last seven games, while Maye's numbers (3,608 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, nine interceptions and a 63.3 percent completion rate) were all slightly worse than what he delivered in 2022.

Still, Newton called the 2022 ACC Player of the Year the "best built quarterback in this draft for the NFL."

Maye certainly has a great frame (6'4" and 223 pounds) for the position and possesses enough scrambling ability to extend plays or gain positive yards on designed runs. Coincidentally, he recently told Bleacher Report's Scott Polacek that Newton is one of the QBs he looks to model his game after.

Clearly there's a level of mutual respect even if Newton isn't totally sold on whether Maye will thrive in the NFL.

The Washington Commanders took a different pre-draft visit approach than normal last week, inviting Drake Maye, Jayden Daniels and other prospects together for a group visit.

Part of that visit included a trip to Topgolf on Tuesday before going to the team facilities on Wednesday. Maye, who is expected to be a top player of the board in this week's draft, said he enjoyed the nontraditional visit.

"It was one of the cooler visits I've been on," Maye said on the This is Football podcast. "You're surrounded with the head coach and GM and quarterbacks coaches and then took an approach of us all being there together and seeing how we interact. I'm getting the chance to swing the golf club a little bit. I enjoyed it, being around the other guys, got to meet a lot of different guys throughout the process and a lot of guys I saw in high school recruiting."

Of the players there, Maye said he believed he was the best golfer, but gave Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy some props as well.

"I think I had the best swing," Maye said. "I was hitting it pretty good. But J.J. McCarthy was hitting it well as well."

I asked Drake Maye about the now-famous Commanders TopGolf visit. He loved it. "It was one of the cooler visits I've been on."

"I think I had the best swing. I was hitting it pretty good. But JJ McCarthy was hitting it well as well."

LOADED This is Football episode. pic.twitter.com/CPrDTUxJmT

— Kevin Clark (@bykevinclark) April 22, 2024

Perhaps Maye's strong golf game will help him get drafted No. 2 over the other prospects on the trip.

If his golf skills weren't enough, his football skills likely would be. The North Carolina quarterback threw for 3,608 passing yards and 24 touchdowns last year and is considered to be the No. 3 overall prospect and the No. 1 quarterback in the draft class by Bleacher Report's Scouting Department.

In the latest mock draft, Maye is projected to go first overall to the Chicago Bears, but the Commanders are likely hoping he will still be available with the second pick.

HEIGHT: 6'4"

WEIGHT: 309

HAND: 10¼"

ARM: 33⅞"

WINGSPAN: 79"

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40-YARD DASH: 5.20

3-CONE: N/A

SHUTTLE: 4.81

VERTICAL: 28.5"

BROAD: 8'10"

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POSITIVES

— Thick build with good arm length.

— Quick to get his hands up against the run and has the strength to get extension against offensive linemen.

— Solid against double-teams. Attacks the man he's lined up across from and has the strength in his base to concede only a little ground.

— Can make tackles in his gap with offensive linemen hanging on him.

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NEGATIVES

— Doesn't offer much as a pass-rusher, didn't show a move he can win with and only occasionally collapses the pocket with a bull rush. Also lacks the agility to be an effective looper in line games and has a below-average pass-rush motor.

— Plays with subpar knee bend and often has high pad level.

— Stops his feet on contact.

— Playing style resembles a nose tackle, but he's built more like a 3-technique and doesn't have much room for growth on his frame.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 13 G, 24 TOT, 1 SK, 4.5 TFL

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NOTES

— 4-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

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OVERALL

Myles Murphy is a two-down player who can be a gap-filler against the run in the NFL. He's hard to move one-on-one and is solid against double-teams.

However, he lacks the athleticism and pass-rush skills to be an NFL 3-technique, and he's too light to be a nose tackle. Murphy is also already full-framed, sohe might have trouble finding his best position in the NFL.

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GRADE: 5.3 (Backup/UDFA with Roster Potential — UDFA)

OVERALL RANK: 255

POSITION RANK: DL25

PRO COMPARISON: Eric Downing

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye has solidified himself as one of the top prospects in this year's draft class, and a current NFL general manager believes he could be the best quarterback to come out of the 2024 draft, per The Athletic's Ben Standig.

"People are going to pick Maye apart," the GM said. "If he ends up being the best of the group, it won't shock me. He is made of the right stuff."

In his final season with the Tar Heels in 2023, Maye threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions, adding another 449 yards and nine touchdowns on the ground.

Bleacher Report's Scouting Department considers him to be the No. 3 overall prospect and the top quarterback in the draft class, ahead of USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels.

While it is assumed the Bears will take Williams with their top pick, Maye has become an interesting candidate to keep an eye on as the draft nears.

While Maye is unlikely to go first overall, it's hard to imagine he will slip out of the top three. Whether he lands with the Washington Commanders at No. 2 or the New England Patriots at No. 3 is the bigger question.

Wherever he lands, Maye is looking to have an immediate impact, and at least one NFL GM believes he can do that.

Although Drake Maye is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2024 NFL draft, one executive believes that he should spend a year on the sidelines before eventually becoming a starter.

"He scares the hell out of me," the anonymous personnel executive told Ben Standig of The Athletic. "Longer thrower with a big arm but not quick release. Nothing feels like it happens in rhythm, and accuracy is average. Needs a year on the bench."

Maye is coming off a strong 2023 season with North Carolina, completing 63.3 percent of his passes for 3,608 yards in 12 games. He also recorded 24 touchdown passes compared to just nine interceptions, finding the end zone nine more times on the ground.

DRAKE MAYE WITH THE LEFTY TD PASS 😱

(via @UNCFootball)
pic.twitter.com/oBZGYTZSKQ

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 24, 2023

His combination of arm talent and athleticism has made him one of the top overall prospects in the 2024 class. In the latest big board from Bleacher Report's NFL Scouting Department, Maye ranked as the No. 1 quarterback and No. 3 overall player.

B/R NFL Scout Derrik Klassen was impressed with the 21-year-old, calling him the "prototypical quarterback prospect."

"Size, speed, arm strength; he's got all the tools you look for in a franchise quarterback," Klassen wrote in his scouting report.

While rookie quarterbacks often sat behind veterans for a year or two in the past, first-year signal-callers have been on the field much earlier in their careers throughout recent years. A young passer taking a backseat to a veteran over the past decade isn't completely unheard of, though.

Three-time Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes started just one game during his rookie year with the Kansas City Chiefs in 2017. Green Bay Packers quarterback Jordan Love also sat behind Aaron Rodgers throughout his first two years with the team before recording 32 touchdown passes in 2023.

However, it would be difficult to imagine Maye coming off the bench if he's selected with one of the top three overall picks on April 25.

One experienced offensive assistant believes selecting North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye in the 2024 NFL draft represents a significant undertaking.

"I like Maye, but when I see the amount of work it will take to have him reach his potential, we'll be fired first," the quarterbacks coach told Ben Standig of The Athletic.

Maye is the No. 3 overall player on Bleacher Report's 2024 big board, one spot ahead of USC's Caleb Williams, but B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen laid out why he's far from a sure thing.

Klassen pointed to how Maye "does have moments where he doesn't see or react to post-snap movement" and "also has a little bit of Superman Syndrome." The Tar Heels star was prone to making matters worse by extending plays and either turning the ball over or losing yards.

Maye could have silenced a lot of skeptics by having a big sophomore year at North Carolina but instead saw his completion percentage (63.3) and passer rating (149.0) fall in 2023.

Still, there's no question the 21-year-old has the size (6'4" and 223 pounds) and skill set to become an elite quarterback in the NFL.

The comment by the anonymous NFL coach also elides the level of risk to the coaching staff that picks him when considering his likely landing spot.

The Washington Commanders (Dan Quinn) and New England Patriots (Jerod Mayo) both hired new head coaches as part of wider organizational overhauls.

If Maye is judged to be a flop after two or three years, it seems more likely that Washington or New England would simply bring in a new quarterback rather than fire the head coach.

And were a coaching change to happen by that point, there would probably be much bigger factors at play than Maye's performance.