CHAPEL HILL – There’s a quarterback battle going on at the Koman Practice Complex, and the outcome is to be determined.
Max Johnson versus Conner Harrell isn’t for show, it’s legit, with each player getting the same exact number of reps with various player groupings to help the staff get as much equal intel as possible.
Nine practices into spring football, and the most discussed competition in North Carolina’s program has no clear end date. A starter for the season-opener on Aug. 28 at Minnesota won’t be named in April, and not likely until sometime in mid-August. Until then, Johnson and Harrell will compete for the job, UNC Coach Mack Brown said Tuesday.
“We have rotated Conner and Max every time,” Brown said, following practice Tuesday morning. “One of them takes blue and one of them takes white, and then we flip it. So, they’ve had exactly the same number of plays with the blue and the white.”
The blue team is effectively the starting lineup. The white team is the second unit. Numerous players are woven into both, especially the whites. So, it’s likely Johnson and Harrell are getting meaningful reps with every scholarship player on the roster that can run a pass route.
“We are giving those guys the same advantage,” Brown said. “We said, ‘is it bad if they’re playing with the white, and the white’s not as experienced or as good right now?’ But both of them are playing with the white, so both of them are having exactly the same opportunities. And then we’ve got to figure out which one’s playing the best.”
Part of that challenge is the youth of the receivers the QBs are throwing to, as the top two tight ends (Bryson Nesbit and John Copenhaver) are out this spring, and some key receivers (Kobe Paysour, J.J. Jones) are also out. Among others.
So, as Johnson, who has four years experience playing in the SEC, and Harrell, who has attempted just 30 passes in actual games, have each rep charted, the task is increased when so often they are targeting 18 and 19-year-old teammates.
“That’s why we felt like we had to make sure that they were throwing to the same people all through the practice, so one of them didn’t have an advantage over the other one because this receiver is more experienced than this one,” Brown explained.
“We’ve looked at that and have told the quarterbacks, ‘Don’t be frustrated, try to handle it when things are happening bad.’”
Johnson spent two seasons at LSU and the last two at Texas A&M. At 6-foot-5 and 225 pounds, Brown says Johnson will surprise UNC fans with his speed, quickness, and shiftiness.
He has played in 30 games, starting 22 times, and is 474-for-784 with 5,853 yards, 47 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. Johnson scoffs at the idea of being referred to as a “game manager,” and embraces the idea of turning in whatever kind of performance is needed to get a win.
“I’ve thrown for a lot of 300-yard games, one 400-yard game,” he said before spring practice started. “But I think just being able to lead, honestly, is the most important thing. Whether that’s throwing for 80 yards and winning a game, I don’t think it matters how many yards you throw for, how many touchdowns you throw for, as long as you win the game. I think that’s honestly the biggest thing.”
Harrell is now in his third year at UNC, and is a redshirt sophomore. Playing behind Drake Maye, he played little last season, but did start the Tar Heels’ bowl loss to West Virginia.
He was 18-for-27 with a touchdown and two interceptions that day. And for the season, was 22-for-30 with 270 yards, two scores and two picks. Harrell doesn’t lack confidence.
“I feel like I can do everything,” he said. “I’m athletic, I can throw, (and) I can make every throw on the field. I can throw it deep, whatever.”
And he could be UNC’s starter in late August. Or it could be Johnson. Whether or not there’s a lean in either direction at this juncture makes no difference. They are in a true battle for the QB1 job, and it’s going to last a while.
