By Louis Fernandez, WRAL Sports

North Carolina fans will have to wait a little bit longer to find out who will be the starting quarterback. A team spokesperson announced Saturday afternoon that the Tar Heels will not be releasing a depth chart prior to the first game of the regular season against Minnesota on August 29. The reason? The Gophers don’t release a depth chart before games.

That means we won’t know who the starter will be until just before the game begins at 8 p.m.

The Tar Heels are in the process of looking for a new starter at quarterback after the departure of Drake Maye at the end of this past season. Maye was the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, going to the New England Patriots.

The signal caller to start the season for the Tar Heels will come down to three players: Conner Harrell, Max Johnson and Jacolby Criswell.

Harrell, a redshirt sophomore, started the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against West Virginia. He went 18/27 for 199 yards throwing one touchdown and two interceptions in the 30-10 loss to the Mountaineers.

Johnson, a transfer quarterback who played previously at LSU and Texas A&M, appeared in 30 games, starting 22 of them. In his career, he’s completed 60.5% of this passes, throwing for 5.852 yards and 47 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Johnson joined the Tar Heels in December of 2023.

Criswell spent his first three seasons at UNC before transferring to Arkansas for the 2023 season. Criswell returned to Carolina in late spring of 2024. He played in 14 games during his time in Chapel Hill, throwing for a touchdown and rushing for a touchdown.

The Tar Heels start its season on August 29 in a road trip against Minnesota. The game start at 8 p.m. and will air on Fox50.

Source: wralsportsfan.com