CHAPEL HILL – A year ago North Carolina’s football season went the way of Max Johnson – traumatic. The quarterback’s season-ending leg injury in the opener was so severe that amputation was feared for a time.
Although North Carolina beat Minnesota thanks to a Gophers missed field goal in the final seconds, the Tar Heels lost seven of their final 10 games, and head coach Mack Brown, who brought Johnson to Chapel Hill through the transfer portal, was let go. A devastating season.
This year North Carolina and new coach Bill Belichick should be hoping their season goes as well as Johnson’s 10 months of rehab — even if he doesn’t play a down. That’s because after five surgeries to repair his shattered femur, Johnson says he’s grateful just to be practicing with the hope of playing again.
“I was so joyful just to be out here today,” Johnson said after Saturday morning’s practice. “I couldn’t stop smiling.”
Joyful, smiling football players in December make for a happy team enjoying its record.
“I knew how serious it was as soon as it happened,” Johnson said. “When I got up and put my arms around the shoulders of the trainers, I felt my leg dangling. I knew it was my femur. After a couple of surgeries and just lying in bed, I didn’t know how long it would be. There was a point in time I didn’t know if I’d lose my leg.”
Then he added in Carolina dark blue T-shirt with a big smile, “It’s an honor to be back in Carolina Blue.”
Johnson regaining his health was the primary objective, but in this age of the transfer portal, Johnson’s return under a new coach was a logical question mark. After all, this is the wild, wild West transfer portal era of 2025 and not NCAA restriction age of a decade ago.
But even before Johnson, a 6-foot-5, 225-pounder, was cleared to play again — his spring practice was limited to individual drills — he learned from Belichick and offensive coordinator Freddie Kitchens that they wanted him in Chapel Hill.
Johnson says his attitude remaining here didn’t change even after Belichick brought in South Alabama’s Gio Lopez following spring drills through spring transfer portal. Lopez (6-0, 203) is the projected starter in media projections. Last season his total offense average of 274.7 yards a game for the Sun Belt Conference member ranked 22nd in the nation.
“I talked to coach Belichick and coach Kitchens, and they said the best man is going to play, whoever that is,” Johnson said. “I know coach Belichick will make the best decision. I’m just blessed to be here and to be able to compete.”
Johnson, the son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, who won a Super Bowl with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the 2002 season, played two seasons at LSU (2020-21) as a true freshman and sophomore and two more at Texas A&M (2022-23) before he was brought in to succeed NFL first-round draft pick Drake Maye in 2024. He had a fifth season through the COVID waiver of 2020 and a sixth year with the injury after a season limited to one game.
In the Minnesota opener, he was 12-of-19 for 71 yards and one interception and scored a 3-yard rushing touchdown for a 7-0 lead in the first period. He was injured with 1:44 left in the third quarter and North Carolina trailing 14-13. Two more field goals gave North Carolina a 19-17 victory after Minnesota’s missed field goal.
Belichick, who offers more insight on his team in a single North Carolina press gathering than he did in an NFL season with New England, said the competition is open.
The nation’s eyes will be upon Chapel Hill for both Belichick’s first college game after his Pro Football Hall-of-Fame career winning Super Bowl titles and for the Monday night game broadcast on ESPN against Texas Christian.
Belichick chuckled when asked about naming a quarterback and added, “That’s a great question.”
He explained, “We don’t have a specific date. I think the time will be when we’re sure. My experience as a coach has been you want to define who that is and what you generally don’t want to do is pick player A and then go to player B. Let them compete. Once you’re sure it’s player B, make it player B or player A, however that goes.
“Once we’re confident we know who has earned that spot – because that’s the way it will be, we’re not picking them, they’re earning it – then we’ll decide on that. If it’s clear cut, that player will be the player. If it’s not clear cut, maybe the competition will continue into the early part of into the season.
“Whoever earns it is going to get it. That’s the bottom line. Nobody is entitled to it. Nobody’s been given it to him. It’s good to have it done before the first game or may two weeks before the first game, but it’s better to make the right decision than a quick decision. That’s one of the key questions we have to answer.”
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