Tag: Jacolby Criswell

UNC football loses key 2024 offensive starter to transfer portal

The UNC football program will have yet another new starter at a key position in the fall.

The North Carolina Tar Heels entered the 2024 college football season with plenty of questions – and roster spots that needed to be filled.

One of the most crucial answers UNC searched for was at quarterback, as Drake Maye departed for the NFL Draft after 2023. North Carolina entered last season with a battle between Max Johnson and Conner Harrell, then the latter played after Johnson broke his leg.

Ineffective play from Harrell then caused the Tar Heels to find their starting quarterback: Jacolby Criswell, who threw for 2,459 yards and 15 touchdowns.

Criswell transferred back to UNC from a year at Arkansas, proving himself as a solid starter, but he won’t be playing football in Chapel Hill any longer.

On Wednesday, January 15, Criswell entered his name in the transfer portal with a year of eligibility remaining.

Teams are always in the market for quarterbacks, so I imagine Criswell will have plenty of suitors. Does he go back to Arkansas, stay within the ACC or transfer to a smaller program where he can truly shine?

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Criswell played most of North Carolina’s victory over Charlotte, then nabbed his first start against James Madison. While Criswell struggled with multiple turnovers against the Dukes, the Tar Heels struggled as a whole, giving up 70 points to a team it should’ve beaten by two touchdowns.

Criswell’s best stretch of the season came between UNC’s loss to Pitt and bowl-clinching win against Wake Forest, when he didn’t throw a single interception. North Carolina lost big to UConn in the Fenway Bowl – and lost Criswell to injury in the process.

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Fenway Bowl defeat a fitting exclamation point on UNC’s disappointing football season

A Fenway Bowl loss to UConn closed out UNC’s disappointing football season.

The North Carolina Tar Heels had a golden chance to finish their football season with some rare, positive momentum on Saturday afternoon against UConn in the Fenway Bowl.

Instead, UNC lost a disappointing – but unsurprising – 27-14 matchup against a Huskies (9-4) squad that hadn’t won a bowl game since 2009.

North Carolina (6-7) finished with a losing record for the second time in four seasons, a trend we so desperately hope ends under head coach Bill Belichick. Saturday was UNC’s fifth consecutive loss in a bowl game.

The Tar Heels played without several starters in Saturday’s Fenway Bowl. Omarion Hampton was expected out, as he declared for the NFL Draft weeks ago, but the recent opt-out of starting right guard Willie Lampkin was unexpected.

An already-thin UNC squad thinned even more early in the first half, with starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell leaving after getting hit on a scramble. Criswell was expected to play coming in, but his departure was the last thing North Carolina needed.

Just how much did the Tar Heels’ offense struggle on Saturday? They didn’t pick up a first down until late in the second quarter, when freshman quarterback Michael Merdinger – who’s in the transfer portal – completed a 23-yard pass to starting tight end John Copenhaver.

To make matters worse for UNC’s offense, it didn’t convert a SINGLE third down and went just 1-of-3 on fourth down tries. UConn, on the other hand, converted 8-of-16 third down attempts and its lone fourth down try.

North Carolina’s defense never seemed like it was able to get off the field. The Tar Heels struggled against the run once again, allowing five different Huskies to combine for 210 rushing yards.

With Belichick already in Chapel Hill, we’re hoping this recent chapter of mediocrity in UNC football finally came to an end today.

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Where does Jacolby Criswell stack up amongst fellow ACC quarterbacks?

Jacolby Criswell’s breakout season has him ranked amongst the ACC’s best quarterbacks.

If you’ve been watching college football all season long like us, you’ve likely noticed that quarterbacks are shaping their respective team’s success.

That’s particularly true in the ACC, where several quarterbacks have their teams on the edge of CFP contention.

Cam Ward is leading Miami (FL) with his Heisman Trophy campaign, while Kevin Jennings has ACC newcomer SMU undefeated in the conference. Tyler Shough just helped Louisville to a massive upset of Clemson, while Eli Holstein is near-unstoppable for Pitt.

There’s another top ACC quarterback that isn’t getting talked about enough: North Carolina Tar Heels gunslinger Jacolby Criswell, who was recently ranked Top-8 in the conference quarterback by ESPN CFB analyst Tom Luginbill.

For reference, there are 32 qualifying quarterbacks in the ACC – and 17 teams.

Criswell is a spot behind Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, two behind Holstein, three behind Ohio State transfer Kyle McCord (Syracuse), four behind NC State’s CJ Bailey, five behind Shough, six behind Jennings and seven behind Ward.

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For a guy who’s patiently waited his turn to start for UNC – four seasons as a backup, two transfers and two injuries later – Criswell is thriving.

Criswell has 1,871 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns to just three interceptions, 172 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Criswell threw for nearly 500 yards against James Madison, then was lucky to play turnover-free football throughout October.

I saw Criswell primarily as a pocket passer earlier in the season, but he’s grown in the past few weeks, using his legs to extend plays and pick up major first downs. That’s a characteristic that NFL scouts look for, as so much of the professional game today focuses on mobile quarterbacks.

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New UNC starting QB Jacolby Criswellhas solid game in first start despite turnovers

Jacolby Criswell provided the UNC football team with one of its only positives in a blowout loss against James Madison.

There were hardly any positive takeaways for the UNC football team after Saturday’s poor excuse of a game against James Madison.

The Tar Heels allowed JMU to rack up 611 yards and score 70 points against them. The Dukes scored seven offensive touchdowns, with quarterback Alonza Barnett accounting for all seven (five passing, two rushing), while their defense added two more touchdowns on a blocked punt and pick-six.

If there even was one positive takeaway for North Carolina on Saturday? New starting quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who – despite losing a fumble and throwing a pair of interceptions – threw for a career-high 475 yards and three touchdowns.

Criswell shined particularly on his two first-half touchdown throws. He connected with tight end John Copenhaver for a 35-yard score in the first quarter, then opened up the second quarter scoring when he connected with his starting tight end, Bryson Nesbit, for a 34-yard catch-and-run.

“He made some great throws,” UNC head coach Mack Brown said about Criswell. “Just unbelievable throws. That’s the first real game he started since he’s been here. He started, I think, 4 years ago or something. Played one half. But he made some unbelievable throws today and he’ll just get better and better. And he saw a whole lot of looks, they (JMU) blitzed him a whole lot. He was the one bright spot for sure.”

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Criswell’s third and final touchdown pass went to freshman Jordan Shipp, with the freshman catching a 5-yard, over-the-shoulder pass for his first career score.

It’s extremely difficult to think of positives after a game like today, but knowing that North Carolina found its starting quarterback is something to be happy about.

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Mack Brown reportedly decided on starting QB vs James Madison

UNC looks to improve offense with a shift in the team’s starting quarterback for Saturday

It has been one thing after another for UNC football through just three weeks this season. First, after winning the quarterback battle this offseason, transfer Max Johnson started the season and played just three quarters before breaking his leg and ending his season right there.

Conner Harrell, who played more in camp than Criswell, took over for Johnson in the win against Minnesota and became the Heel’s starting quarterback.

He led the team to a 38-20 win over Charlotte in Week 2 with 219 yards and two touchdowns with an interception through the air. He started the game last week as well; however, after an extremely slow start to the passing attack, Mack Brown made a move and inserted Jacolby Criswell.

Criswell ended up finishing that game 14-of-23 through the air with 161 yards and a touchdown with another 16 yards on the ground. The team scored on almost all of the drives Criswell led, and inevitably, led to a controversy this week.

After a week of saying both players were being prepared to start against James Madison this week, it looks like Criswell is coming out on top and will gain his first start of the season.

Hopefully, we see an increase in passing offense against a much better opponent than Charlotte or NC Central.

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Mack Brown hints on the possibility of a two-QB rotation for UNC

Could we possibly see two quarterbacks share the starting role entering the 2024 season?

It is no secret that the North Carolina Tar Heels are in a heated battle for the starting quarterback role heading into 2024. Conner Harrell is the only QB from the 2023 roster while Mack Brown also brought in Jacolby Criswell and Max Johnson as graduate transfers as well.

So far this offseason, we have seen reports on just about each of them looking better than the other at some point in time. However, Mack Brown has still yet to decide who will start under center heading into their Week 1 game against Minnesota in just under three weeks.

Something unheard of yet is the idea the Brown could start two quarterbacks in a rotation or at the same time this year.

According to an interview that Brown did he is doubling down on the fact that Harrell and Johnson are “competing at the highest level.”

When asked about starting two quarterbacks, Brown didn’t have an immediate answer, but he did express that it’s not likely.

We have in the past. We will not if somebody separates, but if we’re not really sure which will be the best, we’ll play both. I don’t know what that means yet. You don’t get to that point until you get about 10 days out.

The idea is not unheard of and has been successful for the right programs, but let’s just hope that one of these two quarterbacks passes the other.

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Chip Lindsey speaks out on UNC QB battle

OC and QB coach Chip Lindsey gives insight into Chapel Hill starting QB battle.

There is no secret in Chapel Hill that the biggest football decision still yet to be made is the person who will lead the North Carolina Tar Heels offense under center. With Drake Maye in the NFL, graduate transfers Jacolby Criswell and Max Johnson fight with Maye’s 2023 backup Conner Harrell for the starting role.

Last year at Texas A&M, Johnson threw for 1,452 yards and nine touchdowns with five interceptions. Criswell spent last season with Arkansas where he threw for 143 yards and three touchdowns. Backing up Maye in his freshman season, Harrell threw for 278 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions.

We haven’t heard a lot from the coaching staff on the decision, but offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Chip Lindsey spoke in depth today on the ability of the three guys and who the leader might be.

“I think all three are eager learners, they study, and if we can limit mental errors on the field, I think all three have the ability,” Lindsey said. “I really enjoy being around them and I think they are all growing and getting better each and every day.”

Watch Lindsey’s presser here;

One thing is for sure, they are taking their time. It wouldn’t surprise me if we don’t know who the starter is up until a few days before Minnesota. However, Johnson looks like the favorite for now.

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On3 predicts the winner of the UNC football QB battle

With three quarterbacks battling for the starting role, On3 predicts this QB to come out on top.

Last season’s North Carolina Tar Heels team was highlighted by superstar quarterback Drake Maye. Maye eventually went on to have a great season and was selected as a top-three draft pick in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

With Maye in the NFL, the Tar Heels are forced to find a new signal caller behind center. There are three guys currently in the mix for that position.

Conner Harrell, one of the three players vying for the starting quarterback role, was the only player left on the team that was on the depth chart last season. As a freshman last year, Harrell completed 22 passes for 278 yards and two touchdowns with two interceptions as the main backup to Maye.

Jacolby Criswell has an interesting story leading up to his fight for this spot. He spent the first three years of his collegiate career with the Tar Heels before transferring his junior year to Arkansas. He had very minimal stats in those first three years. His first sophomore year was his most productive with 179 passing yards and a touchdown.

Last season, he had 143 yards and three touchdowns on 17 completed passes. He has thrown just one interception in his entire career.

The last member of the battle is another graduate transfer, Max Johnson.

Johnson spent the first two years of his career with LSU where he threw 474 completions for 3,883 yards and 35 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He transferred to Texas A&M where he also spent two years. He completed 161 passes for 1,969 yards and 12 touchdowns with five interceptions before making the move in his last year of eligibility to North Carolina.

On3 predicts that Max Johnson will get the start in Week 1 against Minnesota, but that the leash will be tight, and multiple quarterbacks might be involved early and often.

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247Sports bold prediction for UNC football involves quarterback position

Will Jacolby Criswell be the surprise starter at quarterback for the UNC football program?

With the 2024 ACC Football Kickoff taking place in Charlotte, we are inching closer and closer to the start of the upcoming college football season. And for the North Carolina Tar Heels, they still have some things to sort out.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Mack Brown’s team in 2024 is the quarterback position. With Drake Maye off to the NFL, the Tar Heels have a battle brewing this offseason with transfer Max Johnson, Conner Harrell, and Jacolby Criswell.

UNC hasn’t hinted their plans just yet but one college football writer made his bold prediction for the Tar Heels and it involved that quarterback battle.

Brad Crawford of 247Sports wrote on 10 bold ACC football predictions, saying that Jacolby Criswell will be UNC’s top quarterback:

Coming out of spring, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson battled Conner Harrell  for the Tar Heels’ starting job. The program since added a third option, former Arkansas quarterback Jacolby Criswell to the mix, who arrived as a serious threat to earn QB1 status in camp. He originally signed with the Tar Heels and played a couple seasons as a depth-chart option before serving as KJ Jefferson’s No. 2 last fall in the SEC. He’s back, seasoned and anxious to get his shot. Expect this to be Mack Brown’s final season in Chapel Hill as coach, so cycling through multiple quarterbacks might not be all that bold of a decision.

That’s a bold take as many believe this quarterback battle is down to just Harrell and Johnson.

Criswell returned to North Carolina after transferring out and playing at Arkansas. He’s the name that no one is really talking about in the quarterback battle and could sneak in and win the job.

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North Carolina’s quarterback room ranked amongst Top 10 tiers entering 2024 season

The 2024 UNC quarterback room is ranked higher than you might think.

Knowing that 2022 ACC Player of the Year Drake Maye was returning last season, the UNC football team didn’t have to stress about its quarterback situation.

With Drake Maye now in the NFL, looking to become the next great New England Patriots quarterback, North Carolina goes back to the drawing board under center. The Tar Heels return star running back Omarion Hampton and a deep tight end room, led by Bryson Nesbit, but carry a new group of wide receivers besides J.J. Jones and Nate McCollum.

UNC doesn’t have the luxury of knowing its starting quarterback this season, but it does have the luxury of three starting-caliber quarterbacks to choose from.

Duke’s Mayo Bowl starter Conner Harrell, Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and Jacolby Criswell, who began his career in Chapel Hill, transferred back after a season at Arkansas.

With these three guys in the room, ESPN ranked North Carolina’s quarterback situation in its eighth tier (of 20) entering the fall.

Check out what ESPN has to say about Johnson regarding his Tier 8 spot:

“It’s UNC’s (Max) Johnson who no one seems to be overly excited about,” David Hale wrote. “Perhaps it’s that he has been stuck on two different SEC teams whose coaches ultimately got fired. Regardless, he has been pretty solid, if never entirely thrilling. He’s basically the Big Boi of college football — around forever, part of some big brands, always overshadowed and undervalued.”

I know the Tar Heels aren’t expected to do a ton this coming season, but they have a lot of unproven talent. That begins in the quarterback room, where either Harrell, Johnson or Criswell could start from Day One.

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