North Carolina quarterback Max Johnson was carted off the field with what appeared to be a right knee injury in the third quarter of a 19-17 win against Minnesota on Thursday night in Minneapolis.
Johnson, who transferred to the Tar Heels from Texas A&M this past offseason, won the starting job after a competition with Conner Harrell that went down to the wire. In the early going against the Golden Gophers, Johnson struggled to find consistency — but so did his offensive line, with four new starters.
Late in the third quarter, Johnson dropped back to pass, but Justin Walley came in from the secondary on a blitz and sacked him. Johnson landed awkwardly on his knee and immediately grabbed it.
His parents, Nikki and Brad, watched in stunned silence from the stands. Brad Johnson, a former NFL quarterback, began his pro career with the Vikings.
Speaking immediately after the win, UNC coach Mack Brown told Fox that he didn’t have an update on Johnson’s injury.
“I hate that Max got hurt for him and for us. Conner (has) got to come on,” Brown said.
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 get through the portal to replace first-round draft pick Drake Maye.
Johnson ended up 12-of-19 passing for 71 yards with an interception and a rushing touchdown Thursday night. Harrell, a redshirt sophomore who served as the backup to Maye last season and started the Tar Heels’ bowl game, replaced him and was 2 of 4 for 34 yards. He led the Tar Heels on a late drive that ultimately produced the game-winning field goal with 1:44 left.