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Pete Thamel, ESPN
North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson plans to return to UNC to play the 2025 season, he told ESPN on Friday.
Johnson is out for the year with a broken leg, which he suffered against Minnesota last Thursday.
“I have a lot of football left in me,” he said, “and know I will be back out there next year.”
Johnson added that he’s grateful to the medical team that took care of him after the injury. He got hurt in the second half against the Gophers when he was hit on a blitz by Minnesota defensive back Justin Walley.
He had surgery Friday and has been recovering in Minnesota since the injury. He’s looking forward to rooting on the Tar Heels this year.
“I’ll be there every day supporting my teammates and helping out as much as I can,” he said. “I appreciate all the love and support from the fans.”
He called the eight days since the injury “a serious grind” and added that it has “taken a lot to get to [the] other side and start the recovery process.”
Johnson added: “I want to thank Dr. Templeman and his team, the nurses and support staff at Hennepin County Medical Center who took amazing care of me. Thank you to UNC head coach Mack Brown, the coaching staff and trainers who have encouraged and supported me.”
Johnson began his college career at LSU in 2020 and transferred to Texas A&M, where he redshirted the 2022 season after suffering a season-ending injury. He entered this season at UNC with two seasons of eligibility remaining at UNC, per his bio. That means he will play a sixth year 2025 and might be able to petition for another after that.
Johnson won the UNC starting job over Conner Harrell out of camp, as he arrived as a transfer this offseason. He has started 23 games in his career and appeared in 31, throwing for 5,923 yards and 47 touchdowns.