UNC Football adds a new member to its quarterback room

With one week before signing day, the UNC football program got some more depth at the quarterback position.

On Tuesday morning, Hudson Wilharm, a senior from Wilmington, North Carolina, announced that he will become a Tar Heel.

Wilharm's signing completes a remarkable comeback from a pair of injuries that nearly cut his high school career short. His junior season at Wilmington's Hoggard High was cut short by a collarbone injury, but he came back to lead the Vikings to their second-ever appearance in the North Carolina 4A title game. Along the way, he threw 19 touchdowns against only two interceptions.

However, he almost didn't take part in the playoff run. A week before the first round of the playoffs, he accidentally smashed the index finger on his throwing hand against a teammate's helmet. However, he only missed the first round before coming back to throw four touchdowns against Durham's Jordan High despite wearing a splint.

He had a lackluster showing in the third round against crosstown rival Laney High (Michael Jordan's alma mater), completing only 11 passes for 83 yards. The Vikings still won, leading Wilharm to shuck the splint in the quarterfinals against Cleveland High. In what The (Wilmington) Star-News called "the best game of his life, Wilharm lit up Cleveland for 385 yards and six touchdowns.

Hoggard then steamrolled Raleigh's Cardinal Gibbons High in the East regional final 41-20 in a game that saw Wilharm rush for a 45-yard touchdown. Watch highlights of that game from WECT in Wilmington here.

Though his Vikings were flattened 56-21 in the state title game against Weddington a week later, Wilharm had a banner day, setting the school single-season passing record and rushing for a 65-yard touchdown.

Although Wilharm didn't have a single offer on the table going into his senior season, his running ability was a big reason why he attracted interest from NC State and Appalachian State in addition to UNC. Indeed, NC State coach Dave Doeren saw first-hand how dangerous a runner Wilharm can be; his son plays for Cardinal Gibbons.

After two years of seeing Drake Maye gain yards with both his legs and his arm, UNC football fans should be delighted at the prospect of another quarterback who is also a threat as a runner. At 6-4, Wilharm is almost as big as a linebacker. He will also add some needed depth under center. With Maye leaving for the NFL Draft and Jefferson Boaz in the transfer portal, the only quarterback on the roster who has thrown a collegiate pass is Conner Harrell, who was pressed into the starting job for the Duke's Mayo Bowl.