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UNC-Charlotte: Mack Brown Postgame Q&A
UNC QB Max Johnson announces decision on future with Tar Heels
A season-ending injury has Johnson thinking about next steps.
Grant Hughes
Grant Hughes
Sep 6th, 7:17 PM
13
North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson is staying in Chapel Hill and will return to play a sixth year of college football in 2025, Pete Thamel reports. The graduate signal caller remains hospitalized in Minneapolis after undergoing surgery to repair a broken femur he suffered in the third quarter of the Tar Heels’ 19-17 win at Minnesota in Week 1.
“These last eight days have been a serious grind, and it has taken a lot to get to the other side and start the recovery process,” Johnson told ESPN. “Thank you to UNC Head Coach Mack Brown, the coaching staff, and trainers who have encouraged and supported me. Thank you to family and friends who have prayed and supported me during this time and, ultimately, my Lord and Savior, who pulled me through. It will be hard to sit on the sidelines, but I have a lot of football left in me, and I know I will be back out there next year. In the meantime, I’ll be there every day, supporting my teammates and helping out as much as I can. I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.”
Johnson’s has undergone two surgeries on his right leg and is out for the remainder of the 2024 season. He has another year of college playing eligibility left in the 2025 season and could petition the NCAA for an additional year beyond that.
“Max will have a full recovery,” head coach Mack Brown said this week. “He’s doing well. Emotionally, obviously, this is devastating for him and everybody else. We expect him to be back within a week or two, and he can play again. The important thing is he’s safe, and he can play again.”
Johnson transferred to UNC this offseason from Texas A&M. He beat out sophomore Conner Harrell for the starting nod against Minnesota and went 4-of-10 passing for 28 yards and an interception in the first half against the Golden Gophers. He looked better coming out of the locker room, connecting on eight of his first nine passes, but went down at the 3:02 mark in the third quarter after absorbing a hit from blitzing Minnesota cornerback Justin Walley.
“We’re very, very sad for him,” Brown said. “But we’ve obviously had a lot of young people that have been hurt in the past, and you can’t control what happens in your life. We can control how we respond to it. Our fans are great. They’re great with everybody that’s had something happen with our kids. And I ask all of our fans to pray for him and pick him up.”
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