2 weeks Ago By Andrew Peters
North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson exited Thursday's game against Minnesota with an apparent injury. The senior had his right knee twisted while taking a hit and had to be carted off the field in the third quarter, per Action Network's Brett McMurphy . Johnson had 71 passing yards and an interception on 12-of-19 passing before leaving the game.
Johnson transferred to North Carolina after two seasons at Texas A&M. A 4-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247Sports Composite , Johnson spent his first two seasons at LSU and had a pair of productive seasons for the Tigers. While he mostly played in a backup role for the Aggies in 2022, he was the starter for most of the season in 2023 after Conner Weigman suffered an injury that limited him to just four games.
Johnson had 1,452 passing yards, nine touchdowns and five interceptions in his final year at Texas A&M. Johnson joined the Tar Heels hoping for a strong final collegiate season, but things got off to a rough start on Thursday. The severity of the injury is not yet known.
Sophomore quarterback Conner Harrell stepped in for Johnson after he exited the game, and he'd likely be the starter should Johnson have to miss extended time. Harrell was a 3-star recruit coming out of high school according to 247Sports Composite and played limited action behind star quarterback Drake Maye last season, throwing for 270 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions in four games. Harrell started the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia, completing 18-of-27 passes for 199 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions in a 30-10 loss.
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