'I'm my own guy': Criswell looks to rewrite story after returning to UNC football

Jacolby Criswell is ready to write his own story.

Following three seasons on UNC's bench behind star quarterbacks Sam Howell and Drake Maye, Criswell transferred to Arkansas looking for more opportunities. But as a Razorback, the season still didn't go as planned. Criswell only appeared in four games, recording three touchdowns and passing for 143 yards.

So, when the transfer portal opened, Criswell decided to reset once again at the place he originally called home. As of May, he is back with the brotherhood he loves, donning Carolina Blue. And more than anything, he is ready to prove what's been on the surface for the last four seasons. 

"Now, it's my expectation," Criswell said. "My expectation is to be the best I can be regardless of what Sam and Drake did. I'm my own guy."

After entering the transfer portal in April, Criswell decided to come back to North Carolina as soon as the Tar Heels offered. While at UNC, the graduate quarterback appeared in a combined 18 games and recorded his first collegiate passing touchdown during his sophomore year. He passed for 204 yards and rushed for 133 yards in total. 

In the months leading up to his decision to return, Criswell met with some of his prior teammates. 

As the quarterback talked through his feelings on whether to come back even in the midst of another quarterback battle between sophomore Conner Harrell and graduate Max Johnson, all of Criswell's teammates had the same message — they wanted him back. 

And the message echoed what Criswell learned while away at Arkansas. Nothing compares to the bonds Criswell shares with his previous teammates.  

"You can't get that same love anywhere else," Criswell said. 

But on top of the relationship with his teammates, Criswell recognizes that it's about winning football games. He's ready to compete. He wants to take North Carolina to new heights that the program hasn't seen in previous years. 

"I know my right arm is one of the best in the country, 100 percent," Criswell said. "This is the moneymaker right here, so it's like one of those things I am not going to let it go to waste." 

This summer, Criswell has been diving back into the playbook. Although the offense is similar to the one he left, Criswell is still getting used to how offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey wants the offense to run and how best to fit into that. 

But his ultimate goal is to finish his career at UNC to make it to the NFL. According to Criswell, he wouldn't be back at North Carolina if that wasn't his dream. With his dreams in mind, the quarterback isn't holding anything back when competing against Harrell and Johnson. 

"I'm competitive," Criswell said. "I'm the type of guy like you can have so many days over me but I know what I'm capable of."

Even without the starting position, Criswell is happy to get back to work with the teammates and coaches he began his career with. This season, he wants to win as many football games as he can alongside the people he came back for.

"Regardless of who's going to play, I have faith in us that we're gonna win a lot of games," Criswell said. "And that's the most important when it comes to football."