QB Notes: Grading Themselves; No Clarity Yet; Time Table

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Note: Full Mack Brown Monday interview posted below this piece.

CHAPEL HILL – North Carolina is nine practices into fall camp, and there isn’t any clarity yet on the battle between Jacolby Criswell and Drake Maye for the starting quarterback job, UNC Coach Mack Brown said Monday.

The Tar Heels’ coach met with the media following practice Monday at the Koman Practice Complex to discuss his team two days after its first scrimmage of camp, and among the primary topics focused on the quest for QB1.

UNC opens its season August 27 at home versus Florida A&M, so 19 days remain for the staff to make a decision, though Brown wants to do so sooner than that.

“We’re hoping we make it on Sunday before the first game and tell you (media) on Monday at the press conference,” Brown said. “That’s what we’re hoping.”

Yet, for Brown to announce something, either Criswell or Maye must separate from the other. Scrimmages are often determining factors on playing rotations for all positions, including quarterback. Live fire changes everything, but what was learned Saturday wasn’t enough to move the needle for Brown and quarterbacks coach/offensive coordinator Phil Longo.

“It still has not separated enough for us to make that decision,” Brown added, before noting the staff isn’t really in a rush to decide, as both players still need pushing. “And, we want to work. We want to make sure that we’re using the strengths of both quarterbacks to let them have a chance to win the battle.

“And then at some point, we’ve got to hone the offense down and get it down to the simple things that both do best together. I’m really not worried about that position, because like I’ve said, they’re both good, and every day you come out here and say, ‘Could I start him? Yes. Could I start him? Yeah.’”

Criswell has 12 months in Chapel Hill on Maye, as he enrolled in January 2020, while Maye came in January 2021. Thus, Criswell, who is 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, has played more, but not by a significant margin. He is 16-for-25 passing with 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and has run the ball 16 times for 94 yards and a score, all in 94 game snaps.

Maye, who is almost 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds, is 7-for-10 passing with 89 yards, and a touchdown, while he has run the ball six times for 62 yards. Maye has played 41 snaps.

As part of this ongoing process, Longo tried something following the scrimmage that intrigued Brown enough to make a point of telling the assembled media Monday. The players are graded every day, but Longo flipped the script some Saturday.

“Phil did a really smart thing Saturday, he had them grade themselves,” Carolina’s coach said. “So they graded themselves, then he graded them, and they sat down individually and went over both of those. ‘Why did you think you graded this? And why did you think you graded this? Tell me the difference in the two.’

“So, it was really cool. A smart thing to do.”

As ideal as it might be to have a QB1 in the fold at the mid-point of fall camp, Brown is fine with the daily battle between the two, and that true freshman Conner Harrell is playing well enough to garner some notice.

The competition is fierce, but within reason. Maye and Criswell jockey for everything, but the respect is there, and is a noteworthy element of them pushing each other.

“The quarterback battle is what it is; they’re still competing at a high level,” Brown said. “They’re still getting along.”

So, what will be the determining factor? Really, Brown’s response shouldn’t be a surprise.

“It sounds like a smart-aleck answer, but who moves the ball and who scores…,” Brown said. “It’ll be who’s going to protect the ball, it’s going to be who’s gonna get the ball out of their hands fast enough because we’re not going to go through sacks like we did last year.

“It’s going to be who can convert on third and fourth down, who runs well enough to make plays, and who’s got the poise and leadership to carry the team to the end zone.”

Carolina holds its next scrimmage Saturday at Kenan Stadium, but many of the situations the quarterbacks are put in between now and then will carry the same intensity, and at times physicality around them, of a scrimmage.

Perhaps the next time Brown meets with the media, which is Tuesday the 16th, he will have a bit more clarity on who will take the first snap versus the Rattlers at the end of the month.