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Pete Thamel, ESPN
North Carolina‘s thin quarterback room is getting a familiar addition.
Former UNC quarterback Jacolby Criswell, who spent the 2023 season at Arkansas, is returning to play at North Carolina, sources told ESPN. Criswell began his career at UNC from 2020 to 2022, transferring after getting beat out by Drake Maye to become the starter for the 2022 season.
Criswell, who will have two years of eligibility remaining, is a former ESPN 300 recruit who was well regarded by the Tar Heels and their staff. Entering summer camp for UNC in 2022, the quarterback competition was considered a tight race.
Once Maye secured the job, Criswell transferred to Arkansas, which is his home state.
UNC recruited Criswell out of Arkansas in the class of 2020, as he was ESPN’s No. 10 dual-threat quarterback. He’s a bigger quarterback at 6-foot-1, 230 pounds.
Criswell enters the 2024 season with appearances in 18 games. He has thrown for 347 yards, rushed for 177 and accounted for 5 TDs in his career. He started the Wofford game in 2021, filling in for the injured Sam Howell, and completed 11 of 19 passes for 125 yards while rushing five times for 66 yards and a touchdown.
He returns as an intriguing option in UNC’s quarterback room. Transfer Max Johnson started the UNC spring game. Johnson is 12-10 in his career as a starter, going 4-4 at Texas A&M and 8-6 during his time at LSU.
The only other returning UNC quarterback with starting experience is Conner Harrell, who started the 30-10 loss to West Virginia in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. In that game, Harrell went 18-for-27 for 199 yards with two interceptions and a touchdown.
UNC also has class of 2024 quarterback Michael Merdinger, who committed in May 2023. He has three listed offers from power conference schools. UNC has a four-star commitment from Bryce Baker for the class of 2025.