QB Competition: How Did Harrell & Johnson Fare in Spring Game?

CHAPEL HILL - North Carolina’s spring game Saturday marked the unofficial start of the post-Drake Maye era in Chapel Hill.

For the first time since his departure, the Tar Heels gathered in Kenan Stadium, as they capped off their spring schedule.

Defensive coordinator Geoff Collins debuted his new scheme for the Tar Heels and a plethora of new faces took their first snaps in a North Carolina uniform.

All eyes, however, were on Conner Harrell and Max Johnson, as the two quarterbacks continue competing for the starting job under offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

Here is a look at how UNC’s scholarship QBs fared:

Conner Harrell:

For redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Harrell, Saturday’s scrimmage provided an opportunity to showcase his growth since his first career start in Carolina’s loss to West Virginia in the Mayo Bowl in Charlotte last December.

One area of improvement was his deep ball and the touch and precision he had when airing those out.

After throwing only one touchdown pass in 27 attempts in the bowl game, Harrell wasted no time in making an impression Saturday.

Facing a third-and-13 on his opening series, Harrell dropped back for his first pass attempt of the game, when he connected with freshman wideout Vari Green for a 68-yard touchdown.

Harrell provided an encore to his explosive pass to Green on his second series.

Starting at his own 35-yard line, Harrell found Nate McCollum over the middle on the first snap, leading the senior receiver to the end zone for his second touchdown pass of the day.

“I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better with my accuracy. I feel like that’s something where every quarterback is trying to improve, but just accuracy and pocket presence, those are big things,” said Harrell during Saturday’s media availability. “I feel like I’ve gotten better at those and I’ll keep trying to improve at those over the summer and in the fall.”

On the afternoon, Harrell attempted three deep balls in total. The first two resulted in touchdowns, while the other was an accurate pass that would by all accounts have been defensive pass interference during the season.

If getting an all-around look at Harrell was the goal for the staff and Tar Heel faithful in the stands, it was not met.

While he participated in four series, three of which resulted in touchdowns, he attempted just six pass attempts.

Harrell rounded out a successful day with a 16-yard touchdown pass to freshman wideout Jordan Shipp on his fourth series. Shipp high-pointed the pass in the left corner of the endzone to give Harrell his third different touchdown recipient.

With nearly four months since his start against the Mountaineers, Harrell has focused on improving his game, using the game film to make adjustments.

While a major part of that has been his accuracy, he recognizes that his dual threat ability is only a dual threat if used properly, something he’s been working on.

“I know I’m fast. I know I have good legs, but knowing when to use them and knowing when not to is a really hard thing to balance and we’ve been working on that a lot in the spring,” said Harrell.

His first snap of the day was a one-yard quarterback keeper, his only rushing attempt in the contest.

Harrell finished the afternoon 4-for-6 overall, with 161 yards and three touchdowns.

Max Johnson:

Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson has been practicing with the Tar Heels and in Chapel Hill since December, but Saturday marked his first action in front of UNC fans.

And what reps Conner Harrell lacked in terms of numbers, Johnson made up for throughout his three series.

Starting the game with the first team, Johnson simulated a half of football, finishing 14-for-16 for 121 yards and a touchdown.

Johnson opened up the scrimmage, giving a new look North Carolina team its start.

With Omarion Hampton in the backfield, Johnson relied on the third-year back early and often, finding him on consecutive swing passes to start the day.

Following his first incomplete pass downfield, what nerves and jitters that were there seemed to dissipate on the opening drive.

Johnson connected on four consecutive pass attempts, to cap off his opening series, when he finished 6-for-7 for 43 yards.

His lone touchdown pass came during the second drive, which was arguably his best outing of the day. Despite a failed quarterback scramble on first down, the left-handed signal caller was successful on all six pass attempts in the series.

Johnson found success over the middle, using his 6-foot-6 frame to connect with Jordan Shipp on multiple occasions.

He capped off the drive with a 23-yard touchdown pass to redshirt freshman receiver Paul Billups, who was one of four pass catchers to haul in an attempt from Johnson in the series.

With his performance on Saturday, Johnson closed the chapter on his first spring and semester in Chapel Hill, which he thought was a success.

“I thought spring went really well. I had to come in and learn a whole new system, be around new guys, learn names, and I thought it went really well,” said Johnson. “I thought I got better throughout the entire spring.”

Johnson’s deep ball was lacking at times, but he showed flashes of success over his 16 pass attempts.

Michael Merdinger:

For a majority of Saturday’s scrimmage, all eyes were on Harrell and Johnson, and rightfully so.

But, as the duo continued their battle for the starting job, true freshman quarterback Michael Merdinger was also making his first public appearance in a UNC uniform.

A 3-star signal caller out of Fort Lauderdale, Merdinger is now the clear-cut No. 3 quarterback on the depth chart following the departure of Tad Hudson. He had beaten out Hudson almost from the start of spring ball, a reason Hudson entered the transfer portal earlier this week.

Like Johnson, he took snaps on three separate series, mostly getting reps with walk-ons or depth receivers. He ended the scrimmage 5-for-11 for 57 yards, while throwing an interception.

Merdinger’s first drive was stalled with consecutive sacks on second and third down, but he was successful in marching down the field, converting all three pass attempts for 32 yards.

His second series was quickly stifled by a pick six from Will Hardy, and he finished the afternoon going 2-for-7 and 25 yards on the final drive.

Merdinger utilized his arm to take shots downfield, and would have benefited from the presence of veteran receivers and playmakers.

In Closing:

Saturday’s spring game was never going to go a long way in determining who will take the first snaps against Minnesota in August, but it was part of the next step in making that decision.

Conner Harrell turned in a consistent performance, showing improvement with his deep ball and accuracy, something he has been working on since December.

For Max Johnson, it was another step to continue getting comfortable and immersed in Chip Lindsey’s offense. He was quite successful over the middle, making that a major part of his passing game.

The quarterback battle in Chapel Hill will likely last well into fall camp, but Saturday provided an opportunity for both Harrell and Johnson to make a good impression in front of the Carolina faithful.