Aug 29, 2024; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback Max Johnson (14) throws the ball against the Minnesota Golden Gophers during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Matt Krohn-Imagn Images

Does North Carolina Have Best 'Backup' Quarterback in the Country?

Originally posted on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI
By Grant Chachere | Last updated Aug 10, 2025 10:00 AM ET

No matter the level, the pressing question of who will be the starting quarterback is a fixture every football season.

Lopez is the presumed starter after completing 66 percent of his passes last season, throwing for 2,559 yards with 18 touchdowns and five interceptions in 11 games. He also rushed for 463 yards and scored seven more times on the ground. Lopez averaged 274.7 yards of total offense per game, which ranked 22nd nationally.

Lopez is penciled in as the starter — and he was one of four UNC players at the ACC Kickoff, for whatever that’s worth — but let’s play a hypothetical and assume he gets the job and Johnson is the backup quarterback.

If that’s the case: is Johnson the best backup quarterback in the country? There’s a case to be made.

Why Max Johnson is the Best Backup QB in the Country?

Johnson might be the best backup quarterback in college football, thanks to consistent production in limited opportunities.

Over five seasons at LSU, Texas A&M and now North Carolina, Johnson has completed 60.5% of his passes for 5,923 yards, 47 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions.

However, in his 22 career starts, he has averaged nearly 240 passing yards per game (5,278 yards) and thrown 3.3 touchdowns for every interception (43 touchdowns to 13 interceptions).

He has often delivered in relief roles. As a freshman in 2020, Johnson made his first career start against No. 6 Florida in Gainesville, completing 21 of 36 passes for 239 yards and three touchdowns, adding 52 rushing yards in a 37-34 upset. He became the first LSU quarterback to throw three touchdown passes against Florida at The Swamp and earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors.

A week later, Johnson passed for 435 yards and three touchdowns and rushed for two more in a win over Ole Miss.

At Texas A&M, Johnson stepped in after Haynes King was benched in 2021 and again after Connor Weigman’s injury in 2022. In his eight starts over those two seasons, he completed 61% of his passes for 1,725 yards, 10 touchdowns and five interceptions. However, both seasons ended prematurely because of injuries.

Despite never starting two full seasons due to injuries, Johnson’s numbers rival those of many starters around the country, making him a uniquely dependable “backup” quarterback.

Regardless of who the starter is, North Carolina head coach Bill Belichick is smiling ear-to-ear.

This article first appeared on North Carolina Tar Heels on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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