The Tar Heels will have a new face under center this year because Drake Maye was drafted 3rd overall by the New England Patriots. North Carolina fans hope Max Johnson, Texas A&M transfer, will be able to get the Tar Heels back to the top of the ACC.
Last Season (8-5 overall, 4-4 in ACC)
North Carolina took a step back last year after an appearance in the ACC Championship game in 2022. The Tar Heels finished the 2023 season with 3 straight losses to finish just 8-5. 2023 was capped off by a convincing loss to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. Mack Brown has turned the Tar Heels football program around in his second stint. He has a 38-24 record in his last 5 seasons in Chapel Hill, which came after a 2 year period of 5-18 under Larry Fedora. If North Carolina is going to be a contender, they will need Max Johnson to step up. Johnson has thrown for over 5,800 yards and 47 touchdowns in his career at both LSU and Texas A&M.
Departing Players
The key departing player for Coach Brown is star quarterback Drake Maye. The third overall pick led the ACC in passing in 2022 and 2023 and finished his career with over 8,000 passing yards and 63 touchdowns. Maye wasn’t just a passer, he also led the Tar Heels in rushing yards and attempts in 2022, as well as being the second leading rusher last season. Another big loss is Tez Walker. Walker, a Kent State transfer, only saw action in 8 games because of a transfer waiver dispute. However, in 8 only games, Walker’s presence was felt. He put up nearly 700 yards and 7 touchdowns.
This Year
Coach Brown will lean on his offense to keep them in games. The UNC offense has a chance to be lethal this season with Johnson behind center. It will look much differently than in years past since Johnson isn’t as mobile as Maye. Omarion Hampton will be relied upon much more this season, so he will need to help balance out the Tar Heel attack. Team leading receiver JJ Jones will return as the number 1 option in the air for Johnson. The offensive line has some new faces as well. Austin Blaske transferred in from Georgia to play center while Howard Sampson was added from North Texas to play left tackle.
Brown will still have a strong offense at his disposal. The defense is the key for this Tar Heel squad. Last season, North Carolina’s defense gave up over 400 yards per game, 242 of that was allowed in the air, which was good for the most in the conference. If the defense can just be better than last year, this UNC offense should be able to keep North Carolina in a lot of games.