North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson will miss the remainder of the season due to a broken right leg suffered in the team's season-opening 19-17 win over Minnesota on Thursday.
The school said Friday that Johnson underwent leg surgery in Minneapolis and will return to Chapel Hill in a few days. His parents, Brad and Nikki, remain with him in Minnesota.
Johnson, who transferred to the Tar Heels from Texas A&M last season, won the starting job after a late competition with Conner Harrell. In the opener against the Golden Gophers, Johnson struggled to find consistency, but so did his offensive line, which had four new starters.
Late in the third quarter, Johnson dropped back to throw, but Justin Walley came up from the secondary on a blitz and sacked him. Johnson landed awkwardly on his right knee and immediately grabbed it.
His parents watched in stunned silence from the stands. Brad Johnson, a former NFL quarterback, began his professional career with the Vikings.
Johnson was taken off the field on a stretcher and replaced by Harrell.
“I hate that Max was hurt for him and for us. Conner [has] “We've got to get ahead,” coach Mack Brown said after the game.
Johnson began his career at LSU in 2020 before transferring to Texas A&M in 2022. He was hoping for a fresh start with the Tar Heels after an up-and-down career with both programs. His experience (22 starts and 30 total appearances) made him an important player for North Carolina to land through the portal to replace first-round draft pick Drake Maye.
Johnson finished 12 of 19 passing for 71 yards with an interception and a rushing touchdown on Thursday night.
Harrell, a sophomore who served as Maye’s backup last season and started in the Tar Heels’ bowl game, replaced him and completed 2 of 4 passes for 34 yards. He led the Tar Heels on a late scoring drive that eventually produced the game-winning field goal with 1:44 left.
The backup quarterback now is Jacolby Criswell, who recently transferred to the Tar Heels from Arkansas after starting his career at North Carolina.
