North Carolina HC Bill Belichick discusses Max Johnson's injury rehab

The hope for North Carolina football in 2024 was that quarterback Max Johnson would be the real deal as a starting quarterback.

He had been with LSU and Texas A&M previously and started 22 games in his time with both of those programs. He came to UNC to replace Drake Maye, who was selected No. 3 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft by the New England Patriots.

However, Johnson suffered a devastating season-ending injury in his first game with the Tar Heels. That cost him his 2024 season, but now, new head coach Bill Belichick has an update on his potential starter.

It hasn't been easy for the soon-to-be sixth-year quarterback.

“Max is doing very well. His rehab has been long and I have a lot of admiration for him," Belichick recently told the media (h/t On3)." It’s a tough injury, but nobody’s worked harder than he has, and he certainly is able to do a lot more than he was last spring. So, we’ll see exactly where he is when things start, but it’s a whole lot closer, and we certainly expect to see him out there. So, it’s been very encouraging.”

While Belichick did say that he's encouraged by the progress Johnson has made, that is quite a vague update. In fact, as positive as it sounds, Belichick didn't really give anything specific as it relates to whether or not Johnson will be available for the season opener against TCU on September 1. He did say they expect to see him "out there", but in what capacity?

The Tar Heels will certainly hope that he'll be ready to go because he likely gives them the best chance to win in 2025. 

If not Johnson, Belichick has two young quarterbacks with very little experience. DJ Mazzone is a redshirt freshman with no snaps under his belt and Bryce Baker, a former four-star recruit, has a ton of potential, but he's a true freshman.

The Tar Heels have put a ton of hope into Johnson being fully recovered in 2025, and they've also put hope in his ability to shake off the rust.

That's a lot of eggs in one perilously shaky basket, especially heading into Belichick's first-ever season as a college football head coach.