Why did Max Johnson decide that the UNC football program was the right fit for him?

The UNC football program participated in the annual ACC Kickoff on Thursday, as a handful of current Tar Heels, along with head coach Mack Brown, took some time to speak to the media ahead of the upcoming 2024 season.

Two quarterbacks were on-hand for the Tar Heels, as Max Johnson and Conner Harrell were in Charlotte to field questions. Both players, along with Jacolby Criswell are vying to be the UNC football program's starting quarterback, as it's a competition that has the makings of coming down to the wire.

Now heading to his third stop in his college football career, Johnson has the most experience of any of the players in the Tar Heels quarterback room. When he was asked by the media why he decided to transfer to the UNC football program, Johnson made it clear that Chapel Hill was the place he wanted to be.

"I think watching the guys coming here such as Sam Howell and Drake Maye, the success they had here. Just the type of offense that is run here. Coach Lindsey has done a great job, like Conner (Harrell) said, working to everybody's strengths. I've kind of fit in really well here. I've met some great guys, great friends. For me, this is the place where I wanted to be coming out of the portal. Of course, I got other phone calls, but this was my first choice. This is where I want to be and I'm looking forward to this year."

Sure, seeing the success that Sam Howell and Drake Maye, now both NFL quarterbacks, had at North Carolina should be enticing to any quarterback, but Johnson also speaks about how offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey works to his players strengths. While it's certain he received plenty of interest from other programs, it was the UNC football program that stood out the most to him.

Although his numbers at Texas A&M don't compare to his 2021 season at LSU (a year in which he threw for 2,815 yards and 27 touchdowns), Johnson potentially could find a resurgence in Chapel Hill. Of course, the first order of business will be to win the starting quarterback job outright, as the battle will be one that will be a very competitive one to keep an eye on over the next few weeks.