UNC football: Who should be the starting quarterback?

North Carolina doesn’t have a starting quarterback right now. On the plus side, Mitch Trubisky turned a strong junior season into a second overall draft pick, which will pay dividends for the Tar Heels on the recruiting trail for years to come. They successfully recruited grad transfer student Brandon Harris from LSU, but he’s no sure thing just yet. Who will be the team’s starting quarterback in 2017?

Brandon Harris

Out of any of the other options that North Carolina has this year, Harris has the most game experience. Over the course of his career at LSU, Harris started 15 games for the Tigers. He managed to complete 187 out of 347 pass attempts while gaining 2,756 yards and scoring 20 touchdowns. He was also a successful rushing quarterback with 370 yards in 97 rushes and seven touchdowns.

Harris suffered an injury in his junior season that led to him missing time and ultimately losing his starting role. He might not be the strongest quarterback in the ACC, but he’s certainly the best equipped to play as a one-year stopgap. The Tar Heels have had their eyes on him for awhile now, so this is a guy they are familiar with and could be ready to hand the reins off to for a season.

Nathan Elliott

Harris might have the most overall experience, but Elliot is the only quarterback of the group that has taken a snap for UNC. As Trubisky’s backup last year, he received limited playing time but was able to accumulate 55 passing yards in only a handful of attempts. Elliot knows the offense more than anyone else in contention. He’s been around the team the longest and has worked well with the offense in practice.

Logan Byrd

The Tar Heels get from Byrd the same kind of brute strength they received from Marquise Williams. He’s familiar with the offense after two seasons with the team but has yet to play in a game. It’s possible that this is the year he finally gets a real chance to play, but Harris and Elliot are likely in his way at the moment. He will have to outperform someone if he wants to be considered.

Chazz Surratt

Out of all the options the Tar Heels have to choose from, Surratt may be the most gifted athlete. He has the arm strength, the speed, and the natural abilities to unseat his competitors, but Surratt is young and could do well with another season under his belt.

Who do you think should be the starting quarterback to begin the season? Keep in mind that this year won’t be the same as the last. Mitch Trubisky isn’t walking through the door anymore, so the team is going to be looking at multiple players to fill the quarterback position over the course of the 2017 season.