By Mark Bergin, WRAL senior multiplatform producer

Chapel Hill, N.C. — North Carolina will enter the 2024 season with a new starting quarterback.

Mack Brown, 72, is heading into his sixth season in his second stint with the Tar Heels, and his team must move on now that Drake Maye is in the NFL.

“[I’m] really proud of the things that have been accomplished,” Brown said on July 25 at the ACC Kickoff event.

The Tar Heels have made five consecutive bowl games since Brown returned to the program in 2019.

In July, Brown discussed his purpose entering his 36th season as the head coach of a Division I team. He mentioned the role NIL and social media has on his players.

“I feel such a purpose, more than any time in my life, that I can help them with their lives, and that’s pretty powerful,” Brown said. “And, that’s why I got back into coaching.”

If UNC can reach double-digit wins for the first time since 2015, it’s possible the Tar Heels could reach the expanded 12-team College Football Playoff.

UNC will not play any of the ACC’s new additions in the 2024 season in California, SMU or Stanford.

Here are the top storylines for UNC football heading into the 2024 season:

Can UNC be better without Drake Maye?

Heading into the 2024 season, the Tar Heels have not named a starting quarterback to replace Maye.

For the second time in four years, North Carolina must replace a quarterback who has gone to the NFL. Sam Howell left for the league in 2022.

“I think we can have a better chance to have a better team without as much hype at quarterback,” Brown said at the ACC Kickoff. “We’ll run the ball better. We’ll play better defense. We’ll play complementary football better.

“With Sam [Howell] and Drake [Maye], you’re trying to win the Heisman. You’re throwing it every time.”

Texas A&M transfer Max Jonson and last year’s backup Conner Harrell, who both represented the Tar Heels during July’s ACC Kickoff event, are expected to compete for the starting job. Jacolby Criswell, who transferred back to UNC from Arkansas, could be in the mix too.

Throughout Johnson’s career from 2020-2021 at LSU and 2022-2023 at Texas A&M, he has completed 474 passes out of 784 attempts for 5,853 yards and 47 touchdowns. He has thrown 12 interceptions.

Johnson’s father, Brad Johnson, was an NFL quarterback from 1992-2008 for several teams.

“I’ve been able to learn so much from him,” the younger Johnson said of his dad. “He’s taught me never get too high [or] never get too low.

“Lean on your guys. You’ve got to be a leader in the good times and bad times.”

In the 30-10 Duke’s Mayo Bowl loss to West Virginia, Harrell completed 18 of 27 passes, throwing for 199 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. The Mountaineers held Harrell’s scrambling ability in check, limiting him to 25 yards rushing on 17 carries.

Brown touted Harrell’s 4.4 speed in the 40-yard dash during the ACC Kickoff event.

In July, Brown also did not rule out the possibility of playing both Johnson and Harrell given their distinctive skill sets.

“The end goal is we want to win a championship, and that creates a bond,” Harrell said of his relationship with Max Johnson.

In 2022, Criswell competed with Maye for UNC’s starting quarterback role. Criswell has spent the 2023 season with Arkansas.

“We’ve got three really talented quarterbacks,” Brown said.

RB Omarion Hampton returns to Chapel Hill

The Tar Heels have running back Omarion Hampton returning to Chapel Hill. He is coming off a season where he ran for 1,504 yards, scored 16 total touchdowns, earned first- team All-ACC and second-team All-American honors.

Hampton said he wants to prove this season that he’s an “all-around back, like Christian McCaffrey.”

Hampton is the Tar Heels’ highest-rated player in the ‘EA Sports College Football 25’ video game.

“I do think what will happen is our defense is going to be better,” Brown said. “Last year, we ran the ball more like we did when [running backs] Michael Carter and Javonte Williams were here.

“So, we’re going to help the defense more with our offense, and these guys [quarterbacks] have to step up. And, they can’t be Drake [Maye] and they can’t be Sam [Howell], but we can be a better team.”

Successfully running the ball, controlling the clock and keeping the Tar Heels’ defense off the field will be key in 2024.

New UNC DC Geoff Collins looks to get defense back on track

Geoff Collins takes over UNC’s defense after spending 2019-2022 as head coach at Georgia Tech. He replaces former defensive coordinator Gene Chizik, who served as the Tar Heels’ defensive coordinator from 2022-23.

In three of North Carolina’s four regular season losses in the 2023 season, the Tar Heels got dominated in time of possession.

🏈 Nov. 25, 2023: NC State had the ball for 40:06

🏈 Nov. 18, 2023: Clemson had the ball for 38:11

🏈 Oct. 28, 2023: Georgia Tech had the ball for 27:56

🏈 Oct. 21, 2023: Virginia had the ball for 37:06

In 2023, UNC’s defense allowed 404.4 yards per game (94th out of 130 teams) and 27.31 points per game (72nd). The season before, the Tar Heels allowed 436.5 yards per game (116th out of 131 teams) and 30.8 points per game (102nd).

The Tar Heels started the 2023 season 6-0, but lost five of their final seven games and finished 8-5.

The year before, UNC got off to a 9-1 start, but lost its final four games to finish 9-5.

UNC is a combined 3-7 the last two years once the calendar has turned to November.

“To be where we want to go, we’ve got to win those games,” Brown said at the ACC Kickoff. “So, our whole focus since the end of last season is why are we not finishing right?”

Brown said the Tar Heels will play more players in the 2024 season compared to years past.

“When you’ve got starters that are not as tired at the end of the year, you can have them more involved with special teams because we’ve got to get better on our special teams [and] we’ve got to get better on defense,” Brown said.

Collins has two key defensive starters returning in 2024: edge rusher Kaimon Rucker and linebacker Power Echols.

“Day one, when he hit the room, he set a standard for us,” Rucker said of Collins. “I feel like, in the past, we haven’t really set a standard as a defense.”

Rucker said the goal is to try to be the best defense in college football.

2024 UNC football schedule

• 8 p.m. ET Aug. 29: UNC @ Minnesota
• 3:30 p.m. ET Sept. 7: Charlotte @ UNC
• 6 p.m. ET Sept. 14: North Carolina Central University @ UNC
• Sept. 21: James Madison @ UNC
• Sept. 28: UNC @ Duke
• Oct. 5: Pittsburgh @ UNC
• Oct. 12: Georgia Tech @ UNC
• Oct. 26: UNC @ Virginia
• Nov. 2: UNC @ Florida State
• Nov. 16: Wake Forest @ UNC
• Nov. 23: UNC @ Boston College
• Nov. 30: NC State @ UNC

Source: wralsportsfan.com