UNC Football: Sam Howell adds to list of preseason honors

UNC football standout Sam Howell continues to receive preseason praise leading up to the 2021-22 season.

North Carolina junior quarterback Sam Howell continues his high-profile trek through the summer leading up to the 2021-22 college football season. Howell has already been named to numerous preseason watch lists, and he’s on a short list of Heisman Trophy favorites. His latest honor came on Friday morning when he was named to the Walter Camp Football Foundation Player of the Year Preseason Watch List.

The list will be narrowed down to 10 semi-finalists in November, followed by a 130-member panel’s vote to determine the winner. This year’s Walter Camp Player of the Year recipient will be named on Thursday, December 9 live on ESPN.

Already one of the most decorated and celebrated players in North Carolina football history, Howell enters his third year with the Tar Heels with 68 touchdowns — tied for an all-time UNC record and the most ever for an ACC signal caller through two seasons. He’s racked up 7,227 yards, while throwing just 14 interceptions in 770 attempts. His 38 touchdowns in 2019 are an FBS true freshman record. His 3,586 passing yards last season were most in the ACC, and fourth-best in the nation. And his 30 touchdown passes as a sophomore were good for sixth-best in college football.

Howell, a preseason first team All-America selection by a number of publications including Walter Camp, has also been named to the Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award and Manning Award watch lists this summer. He’s looking to lead his team to their first ever College Football Playoff appearance, something that a number of college football’s talking heads believe they can do this season.

Howell and the Tar Heels will begin their season in Blacksburg against the Virginia Tech Hokies on Friday, September 3.

Check back with Keeping It Heel for all the latest on Sam Howell, and the UNC football program.