Who Should Be the Starting Quarterback for Bill Belichick?

What is it going to be for Bill Belichick? Who will be the starting quarterback in the season opener on Monday Night Football on September 1 against TCU at 8:00 p.m.?

For the former New England Patriots head coach with not one, not two, not three, but eight Super Bowls under his belt, he has options. In particular, Bryce Baker and Max Johnson are two intriguing options who can serve the 73-year-old well.

Bryce Baker seems like a fascinating option for Beilchick considering his a fresh arm with lots of talent coming into the college scene. Baker stands at six-foot-three and 205 pounds as he left East Forsyth High School as a four-star prospect listed No. 155 nationally, No. 12 at his position, and No. 5 in North Carolina.

Baker committed to the Tar Heels on June 27 last year.

247Sports Director of Scouting Andrew Ivins went in-depth on his report on Baker last year on January 5, 2024:

"Mobile signal caller with a muscled-up build that will throw his wide receivers open. Owns a compact release and can create some torque with his upper half. Can be a bit streaky at times as a passer, but has some impressive long balls on the junior spray chart. Really excels at attacking the back corner of the end zone when down in the red zone. Lower-body twitch allows him to escape pressure and extend plays.

Effective on designed runs and has the burst to beat defenders to the sticks, although he isn’t the type of quarterback that’s looking to just take off and run. Should be viewed as a potential multi-year starter at the Power Four level. Must keep improving his footwork and decision-making, but has tools to develop over the next few years. Likely to find the most success in a modern spread attack that wants to move him around."

Yes, Baker does not have a single snap in college; nevertheless, he has the intangibles to hit the ground running and jumpstart the new era of UNC football with Belichick at the top of the chain. However, his inexperience may cause trouble at times, but that's all part of the learning curve — up to the head coach to call the shots, and for this matter, arguably the greatest coach in football history.

What about Max Johnson? Johnson was the starter against Minnesota for Carolina last season, except his playing time lasted less than half a game as he suffered a broken leg, putting him out for the rest of the 2024 campaign.

Before joining the Tar Heels, Johnson played for Texas A&M during the 2022 and 2023 go-arounds, but that was after he slung the football for LSU following high school. Based on the numbers, his sophomore year featured his best performances, where he threw for 2,815 yards, 27 touchdowns, and completed 225 passes on 373 attempts.

That's the kind of player former head coach Mack Brown was hoping to get, and more; however, injuries are a part of the game that are uncontrollable. The quarterback position went into a state of flux, commencing a battle between Conner Harrell (now with the Charlotte 49ers) and Jacolby Criswell (now with East Tennessee State). Criswell earned the starting spot after a constant back-and-forth on a game-to-game basis.

There are options for Belichick, which is a luxury, not to mention South Alabama transfer Gio Lopez is in the mix, too. Plenty to think about while time is ticking down until the first game arrives.

Aside from the decisions made on the field, players are appreciating their head coach's presence, even some who are no longer a part of the program, such as Gavin Blackwell, a guy who spent a total of four seasons before departing to join fellow ACC foe Florida State. On top of recruiting a son belonging to one of the Colorado Buffaloes' assistant coaches.

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