UNC Football commit Bryce Baker will no longer sign during the early signing period

Mack Brown, now the University of North Carolina's former head coach, coached his last game of the regular season against NC State on Saturday, November 30. His absence from the program has left four-star quarterback Bryce Baker's decision to sign with the Tar Heels up in the air.

Baker, from Kernersville, North Carolina, attends East Forsyth High School and stands at 6-foot-2, weighing in at 195 pounds, per 247Sports. He is listed as No. 151 nationally and No. 4 in North Carolina.

In addition to the UNC football program, the future college freshman previously held offers from Penn State, Appalachian State, Boston College, Duke, NC State, James Madison, and more before his original commitment to the Tar Heels.

Could this be the result of NIL? Or is it because UNC does not have a permanent head coach? The possibilities are endless, and only time will tell when Baker makes his decision to stay or leave.

North Carolina's quarterback situation fluctuated more than the coaching staff would have liked — beginning with Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson and ending with Arkansas transfer Jacolby Criswell in his second stint in Chapel Hill. Sophomore Conner Harrell was placed in the starting role at times, but in the end, that spot belonged to Criswell.

Johnson's injury suffered against Minnesota on August 29, 2024, left him with another year of eligibility. Criswell will be back for another year as well. Harrell will enter his junior year and with room to grow.

The quarterback position is up for grabs. If Baker ends up in Carolina, he could possibly be named the starter right out of the gate.

Who knows?

This program has a list of problems to figure out, and it will be more important for them to find a head coach. Fortunately, athletic director Bubba Cunningham has plenty of candidates to look at, so there will be no trouble finding a post-Mack Brown replacement.