When North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell leads North Carolina onto the field against Clemson on Saturday afternoon, it won't be the first time the Tigers coaching staff is getting an up close look at him.
Howell, who was rated as a four-star recruit by the 247Sports Composite rankings, camped at Clemson as he was going through the recruiting process and earned an offer from the Tigers before ultimately signing with North Carolina.
Howell said it was hard telling what is arguably the top program in college football no, but he is happy with where he ended up.
"I really loved Clemson. My parents were both really big fans of Clemson. Going to their games, it was a really cool atmosphere," Howell said. "It was definitely hard to say no to Clemson. But at the end of the day, I'm glad where I ended up."
Had Howell gone to Clemson he would have been behind one of the top quarterbacks in the country in Trevor Lawrence.
Instead, he went to North Carolina and earned the starting job as a true freshman. Howell has been impressive through the first four weeks of his career.
Howell has completed 64% of his passes for 1,024 yards, with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.
The North Carolina native led UNC to upset victories against South Carolina and Miami in his first two starts, before the Tar Heels dropped back-to-back close games against Wake Forest and App. State.
Still, Howell has exceeded most expectations thus far.
"He's a player. I would say we were right on him," Clemson coach Dabo Swinney said. "He's a competitor. He's got a lot of savvy to him, a lot of confidence, especially for a young guy. He can run, he can make all the throws. He's just gonna get better and better."
Perhaps what has been most impressive about the start of Howell's career at North Carolina is how well he has played in the fourth quarter.
North Carolina has been behind in the fourth quarter in every game and has won two of them. The Tar Heels have had the ball with a chance to win late in their two losses.
"They've gotten down a couple of times but they come right back. He's a natural leader," Swinney said. "He plays the game with a little edge to him. He's got a toughness that you like to see in a quarterback. Just a bright young player, has got a really bright future in this league."
Swinney compared Howell to former No. 1 overall draft pick Baker Mayfield, who won the Heisman during his time at Oklahoma and led the Sooners to the College Football Playoff.
"He's kind of Baker Mayfield-esque if you will," Swinney said. "He's not as fast as Baker, but he's got that type of toughness, grit. Gets better as the game goes. Seems like the bigger the moment, the better he plays. He's got moxie and savviness to him. Makes a lot of plays with his legs ... He's a big reason that they've had a chance to win every game. When he's in, he gives them a chance to win. He's that type of guy."
