Battle For QB2 Will Remain A Competition For Some Time

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CHAPEL HILL – If Sam Howell can’t take a snap for North Carolina, who would go into the game as the Tar Heels’ quarterback?

That question has lingered since fall camp started a month ago, and as of this week, with UNC’s opener at Virginia Tech on Friday, there remains no definitive answer: Jacolby Criswell or Drake Maye?

It appeared the staff would announce a decision by this week, as UNC Coach Mack Brown openly addressed it the day after Carolina’s first scrimmage a few weeks ago. But the players’ competition has remained close enough the staff doesn’t find any need to name its QB2. Not now, anyway.

“I was watching both backup quarterbacks this morning in practice, and really felt like everybody wants a definitive this one’s better than this one, this one would go in,” Brown said Monday. “The truth is both of them are really good and they’re going to be really good players moving forward and they both had tremendous camps. I do feel really, really good about our quarterback room moving forward.”

Criswell, at 6-foot, 220 pounds and from Morrilton, AR, arrived in the class of 2020 as a 4-star prospect and has a year on Maye. He saw some action last fall, playing 44 snaps and completing three of four pass attempts for 19 yards and an interception.

Maye was highly touted nationally and arrived at Carolina after originally committing to Alabama. He enrolled in January, and by the summer workouts was in competition with Criswell.

Both players have high upsides, and they are a bit different. Maye is 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds with a long stride. He is deceptively fast. Criswell is quick and fast as well, and he is strong. Both have natural leadership skills and UNC would be well served with either taking over when that time comes.

“What I can say about both of the, the ball jumps off their hands,” senior linebacker Jeremiah Gemmel said. “When they’re throwing their deep balls and they’re throwing it 55 yards, 60 yards downfield, it looks effortless. I can say that about all our quarterbacks. Great arms, great ball placement.”

So why didn’t UNC name a QB2? What is the benefit from either not doing so publicly or not at all?

“I think it’s imperative that you make a decision about who your starter is,” offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo said Monday. “We let the three guys (Howell, Cade Fortin, Jace Ruder) two years ago decide that by their production, and it was Sam, so we started Sam. And nothing else mattered other than who was doing a good job leading our team and who was producing.

“And the situation with your backups is a little bit different. I want them both preparing to be the backup. You want them both to be ready to play. You want to have the ability to go to both of them. So, we will forever have a backup competition here behind the starter and will play the guy that is most prepared that week to back up Sam in the event that we would actually need them.”

True competion in practice is a culture coaches hope to achieve, but it can be challenging when it’s obvious one player is better than the other. That doesn’t appear to be the case here, just yet. It also helps that Criswell and Maye are understudies to one of the more focused players UNC has had in years, someone who lives and breathes the sport, and who is quite accomplished.

Howell has started all 25 of the Tar Heels’ games the last two seasons completing 496 of 770 pass attempts (64.4 percent) for 7.227 yards, 68 touchdowns, and 14 interceptions. In addition, Howell has run for six touchdowns and has caught two TD passes. Not only does he enter the season as one of the leading candidates for the Heisman Trophy, but some project he could go as the top overall pick in the NFL draft next spring.

“I like that they both compete with each other, they both work with each other, they’re both learning from Sam, which is fantastic,” Longo said. “And I’ve urged them both, ‘Look, squeeze out everything you can from Sam Howell, because when he leaves, it’s a lost opportunity if you don’t. Take advantage of it while you have it. Whether that’s a year or two, we don’t know, but take everything that you can get.’”

“And they’re doing a good job of sponging off of Sam, and I think the two of them are really doing a good job of being great teammates and great competitors.”

Perhaps the only way anyone will truly know who QB2 is at UNC is if Howell cannot take a snap during a key part of the game. Until then, however, it will remain a mystery.