Former Tar Heels' Quarterback Ranked In Top 25 Freshman Debuts

Sam Howell's debut as the North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback was legendary. It was the type of performance Tar Heels fans who were there will never forget. It is a story that can be passed down from generation to generation.

Howell led late touchdown drives of 95 and 98 yards and directed North Carolina to a 24-20 upset of South Carolina in Charlotte. He tossed two touchdown passes and threw the ball for 245 passing yards and gave Mack Brown his first victory in his second stint at North Carolina. Brown was so emotional after the game he broke down on the sidelines during an interview with ESPN.

Chris Hummer of CBS Sports ranked Howell's performance as the 19th greatest debut of the 21st century.

"Howell helped begin Mack Brown's second stint in Chapel Hill with a bang. He threw for 3,641 yards and an ACC-best 38 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, helping the Tar Heels improve by five wins compared to a 2-9 effort during the 2018 campaign under Larry Fedora," Hummer said. "The only true freshman quarterback with a better statistical debut than Howell is the No. 1 player on this list."

The No. 1 player on the list is none other than Trevor Lawrence, who made his debut in 2018.

"One of only two true freshman starting quarterbacks to lead their team to a national championship -- Oklahoma's Jamelle Holieway being the other in 1985 -- Lawrence immediately lived up to the recruiting hype," Hummer said. "He threw for 3,280 yards and led the ACC with both 30 touchdowns (against just four interceptions) and 8.3 yards per attempt. Lawrence is the only FBS true freshman since 2000 to throw for 3,000-plus yards, 30-plus touchdowns and fewer than five interceptions in his debut season."

Going back to Howell's performance, he said at the time it was like he was living out a dream.

“I was just trying to seize the moment and take advantage of this opportunity,” Howell said to the Charlotte Observer after the game. “This is what I dreamed of — being back in my hometown, playing in front of all my close people. It was awesome.”

Howell played high school football at Monroe’s Sun Valley High, which is only 20 miles from Bank of America Stadium. He was an early enrollee in Chapel Hill. He won the starting nod early in camp. When he ran onto the field for his first series, he became the first true freshman quarterback to start a UNC season opener ever.

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