American football quarterback Drake Lee Maye plays quarterback. He played football for North Carolina University, where he was named the 2022 ACC Player of the Year among other accolades.
During his two years as head coach of the North Carolina football team, Mack Brown has never had concerns about the quarterback position. Before being chosen in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft, Sam Howell set a program record with 92 touchdown passes in his three seasons as Brown’s undisputed starter. Drake Maye, who led the Atlantic Coast Conference in total yards in 2022 and 2023 and is predicted to be a top-five choice in this spring’s NFL Draft, has held the position for the previous two seasons. This offseason, though, is distinct. There isn’t a highly-touted quarterback prospect in waiting for Brown. For the first time in Brown’s second stint as UNC’s head coach, the Tar Heels’ starting quarterback
“It’s big shoes to fill,” Johnson said of potentially succeeding Maye. “And I’m looking forward to making the most out of my moments here and just being the best I can be.”
WHO IS MAX JOHNSON? Johnson is a 6-foot-5 quarterback from Athens, Georgia, with two seasons of eligibility remaining. He transferred to UNC in December after spending two inconsistent seasons at Texas A&M where he was part of the musical chairs approach at quarterback for the Aggies. Before that, Johnson was at LSU for two seasons. A big reason why Johnson wanted to come to UNC was the way the program developed Howell and Maye and set them up for NFL success. “From an outside perspective, looking at the quarterbacks that came here, the numbers they put up, some of the big-time throws they made, the way they move the ball,” Johnson said. “It’s not just deep or just short, it’s what’s best for the game. Seeing Drake manage that and make plays with his feet, I have the ability to do that as well.”
