UNC INJURY REPORT: Tar Heels Key Player Out For Season Due To Severe Injury
North Carolina player underwent season-ending surgery for a broken right leg on Friday in Minneapolis. Johnson sustained the injury on Thursday during the third quarter of the Tar Heels’ 19-17 win over Minnesota in their season opener. While attempting a pass, he was hit and had to be carted off the field and taken to a local hospital. This game marked the start of Johnson’s fifth college season and his third school, having previously played for LSU in 2020 and 2021, and for Texas A&M in 2022 and 2023. Johnson, who earned the start on Thursday, completed 12 of 19 passes for 71 yards with one interception before his injury.
After he went down, senior linebacker Power Echols told the Raleigh News & Observer, “We looked at [Johnson after he got hurt]. We said, ‘We got you. We’re going to win this for you.'” Conner Harrell stepped in as quarterback, completing two of his four passes for 34 yards and leading the Tar Heels on a six-play, 48-yard drive that resulted in Noah Burnette’s game-winning 45-yard field goal with 1:44 remaining.
Last season, Johnson appeared in eight games for Texas A&M, completing 62.1 percent of his passes for 1,452 yards, nine touchdowns, and five interceptions. Over his college career, he has completed 60.5 percent of his passes for 5,923 yards, 47 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions. He has also rushed for six touchdowns. The Tar Heels are set to host Charlotte on Saturday, with their Atlantic Coast Conference opener against Duke on September 28.
