UNC QB Sam Howell struggles in upset loss vs. Virginia Tech

It was a rough start to the 2021 college football season for North Carolina and top quarterback prospect Sam Howell on Friday night, as the Tar Hells fell 17-10 at the hands of unranked Virginia Tech.

Howell struggled all night long, completing just 17 of his 32 passes for 208 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions. UNC had a difficult time protecting their promising passer, as Howell was sacked a whopping six times in the upset loss.

A highly touted recruit coming out of high school, Howell is coming off an impressive 2020 campaign that had him heading into this year as one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL draft class.

It’s still early, but Howell and his supporting cast are going to have to elevate their game in a big way moving forward if the UNC signal-caller is going to remain in the hunt to be the first quarterback off the board in next year’s draft.