Who will be UNC's starting signal caller?

Drake Maye tiptoed into the end zone. He extended his left arm and allowed the football to gently roll off his fingertips.

Touchdown… New England Patriots?

Yes, that's correct. The Drake Maye era at UNC is over. He was selected third overall by the Patriots in the 2024 NFL Draft and scored his first NFL touchdown in a pre-season game against the Philadelphia Eagles.

First @NFL TD 👏@DrakeMaye2 | #NEPats

📺: @wbzsports pic.twitter.com/rDzGw6MwtI

— New England Patriots (@Patriots) August 16, 2024

The Charlotte native departed after two seasons as North Carolina's starting signal caller. He set single-season UNC records for passing yards and completions in 2022, while equaling the record for touchdown passes. In 30 games, he tallied the fifth most career passing yards and fourth most passing touchdowns in program history.

Maye is one of the best quarterbacks to ever play at UNC. Now, head coach Mack Brown and the Tar Heels must replace him.

Graduate quarterback and four-year SEC veteran Max Johnson transferred in from Texas A&M. Sophomore quarterback Conner Harrell returns after taking Maye’s place as the starter in the Tar Heels’ 30-10 loss to West Virginia in last season’s Duke’s Mayo Bowl.

“These guys have to step up,” Brown said last month at ACC Kickoff. “They can't be Drake, they can't be Sam [Howell], but we can be a better team.”

As to who the replacement is, there isn’t. At least not in the traditional sense of a like-for-like swap. At least for now.

“Depending on how the game goes, we would like to play two quarterbacks,” Brown said last Friday prior to this week’s opener at Minnesota. “And we’d like to do it for the season.”

UNC has two good options with different skill sets and experience. Brown emphasized the importance of depth in case of injury. The staff has tailored plans for each — both will be ready.

From Athens, Ga., Johnson started his career at LSU. He started all 12 games as a sophomore, throwing for 2,814 yards and 27 touchdowns, before transferring to Texas A&M. After his 2022 season ended early due to injury, he started five games for the Aggies in 2023. Johnson fits the traditional pocket passer archetype under center.

“Coach [Chip] Lindsey has done a great job working to everybody's strengths,” Johnson said at Kickoff. “I've kind of fit in really well here.”

Harrell hails from Alabaster, Ala., and has appeared in four games for the Tar Heels. He has thrown for 270 yards and two touchdowns, adding 75 yards and a score on the ground. Harrell provides a dual threat from the quarterback position.

“Me and Max are the only people in the world going through this situation with these coaches and with this team,” Harrell said at Kickoff. “Obviously it brings you closer. We're together all the time, working together, trying to figure out how to make the team better.”

Brown wants his team to play more consistent, complementary football in 2024. That starts at the quarterback position. During fall camp, Brown said he wants his quarterback to check five boxes: knowledge of the offense, ability to get the ball out quickly, ability to get the ball to the right receiver, accuracy and ball security.

Which quarterback is on the field for a given play, series or game will depend on matchups, situations and flow of the game. If one is in the game and not playing well, the other will replace him. 

“We do feel like we can play either one of these guys and win,” Brown said. “We’ve got to figure out what they’re doing. We’ve got to figure out how we’re handling it during the game, and which system within our system that one of them would run would be the one to give us the best chance to win.”

As for tomorrow night in Minneapolis, Brown thinks he knows which quarterback will go out on the field first. But that could change. And of course, it could be both.

Who knows, maybe one will start the season as a wide receiver.

@dthsports | sports@dailytarheel.com