As the 2021 college football season quickly approaches for North Carolina, not only Tar Heel fans, but college football fans all over are excited to see what the team can achieve this season, especially what junior quarterback Sam Howell can accomplish.

Howell comes into his junior season already tied for most passing touchdowns in school history (68) and is widely regarded as one of the best players in all of college football, which makes him a strong contender to win the highly coveted Heisman Trophy.

Big things are expected from Howell and the Tar Heels. North Carolina has never produced a Heisman Trophy winner, but Howell has the best chance since Charlie “Choo Choo” Justice finished second in 1948 and 1949 to bring that award to Chapel Hill. Putting together a strong season both for himself and for the Tar Heels should give Howell a true shot at the award, but will he win it?

THI compiled analysis from many top companies on how Howell can win the Heisman Trophy. Below are takes from major media outlets about Howell’s chances at winning the award and how likely it is he takes home the Heisman:

Howell's career trajectory mirrors the program's ascent under coach Mack Brown. The next logical steps are Howell pushing for the Heisman and North Carolina pushing for its first ACC championship since 1980. While the latter remains difficult because of Clemson, Howell should be in the running for multiple national honors.

After a record-setting freshman season (3,641 pass yards, 38 touchdowns), Howell significantly improved his accuracy in his second season, boosting his completion percentage to 68.1 (up from 61.4 percent in 2019) while averaging 10.6 yards per attempt.

This past season, Howell eclipsed 200 pass yards in every game, had three or more touchdowns passes six times and only one multi-interception performance. He led the ACC with 30 touchdowns passes, and he ranks ninth nationally in efficiency.

A third year in coordinator Phil Longo's offense only will help Howell, who impressed even in defeat against Texas A&M in the Orange Bowl. He spread the ball around nicely to his receivers and will continue to benefit from the talent North Carolina has been adding through recruiting.

One word comes to mind every time I watch Howell: gamer. The junior QB chose North Carolina and Mack Brown over more proven programs and has yet to back down from a challenge since stepping on campus in Chapel Hill.

He’s also been the biggest reason for the program’s rapid turnaround under Brown, leading the Tar Heels to a New Year’s Six bowl game just two years after Larry Fedora was fired following consecutive nine-loss seasons.

Howell also benefits from a relatively light schedule that should position the Heels well for a trip to Championship Week. UNC gets top division foe Miami at home and avoids Clemson in the regular season. Plus, Howell gets a chance at a Heisman moment Halloween weekend in South Bend against Notre Dame. - Kevin Sweeney

Production alone won't win Howell the Heisman, though the high probability that he throws for 35 or more touchdowns and contends for the national lead in every major statistical category will make the third-year starter an elite contender.

With so many other quarterbacks in the mix, the question for Howell is whether No. 9 UNC will take another step forward and compete for the playoff. If so, that combination could make him the player to beat.

The North Carolina Tar Heels are a sleeper in the ACC, and it all starts with Howell. In 11 regular-season games and a bowl loss, Howell tossed up 3,586 yards with 30 touchdowns, 7 interceptions and another 5 rushing scores.

If he can cut down the miscues, have more eye-popping days like his 550 yards against Wake Forest last Nov. 14, and perhaps find the end zone a few more times with his feet, he is a legit threat to turn this race upside down. I actually think Howell is the best QB in the ACC with a much better value than Clemson’s Uiagalelei.

Since flipping his commitment from Florida State to UNC, Howell has been flipping through the ACC and into the conversation as one of the best players in the country heading into the offseason.

After a record-breaking true freshman season, Howell followed by improving his completion percentage (from 61.4 to 68.1) and his yards per pass attempt (from 8.6 to 10.3).

In 2021, Howell will have to carry the Heels in ways he has not previously had to if the team is to reach the conference title game. If he does, he’ll stick around in the Heisman conversation.

Sam Howell is coming off a true sophomore campaign in which he was the sixth-highest-graded quarterback in college football (92.3). Over the past two seasons, he ranks first in the Power Five in 20-plus-yard completions (66), passing yards (2,654), touchdowns (32) and big-time throws (59 — 15 more than the next QB).

Now, Howell will be tasked with propping up the younger talent within the receiving unit. The Tar Heels ranked seventh in the Power Five in expected points added (EPA) per pass last season, but Howell will have to do a lot of heavy lifting to sustain that mark this fall. If he can lead an even better offense with a much lesser supporting cast in 2021, that might just be enough to take home the Heisman.

The hype surrounding Howell is palpable after he compiled 68 TD passes against just 14 interceptions in his first two college seasons. He’s unquestionably one of the nation’s elite passers, and his exciting style of play drew a Baker Mayfield comparison from NFL.com analyst Daniel Jeremiah this summer.

The schedule sets up well -- the Tar Heels don’t face Clemson this season and could easily take the ACC Coastal Division, which would give Howell a big platform in the ACC title game right before the Heisman voting deadline

There .will be more on Howell’s shoulders this season with the loss of the two 1,000-yard rushers to the NFL draft (Javonte Williams and Michael Carter), but that could just mean bigger passing numbers if he rises to that challenge.

Howell’s Heisman case likely will need a signature performance at Notre Dame on Oct. 30.

CBS Sports: +1500 (15-1)

Yahoo: +1600 (16-1)

FOX Sports: +1000 (10-1)

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