Sam Howell burst onto the scene as a freshman in 2019 and built on that season with a solid sophomore campaign in 2020. The North Carolina Tar Heels quarterback is considered one of the top quarterback prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft.
He has to play one more collegiate season, or at least be away from the high school game for one more year, to be eligible for the pros. Head coach Mack Brown thinks Howell is off to the next level after this coming season and he’s not surprised.
Joining Sirius XM NFL Radio on Tuesday, Brown explained why Howell will be one of the top overall prospects next season.
“Sam Howell is the biggest reason why we’ve made the progress we have in two years,” Brown said. “He came in as a high school senior as an early enrollee in January. He's started every game since he's been here. He's smart, he's smooth. A lot of people compare him, because of stature, to Baker Mayfield. He can run a lot better than you think. He has quick feet. He's tough as nails. He can throw it whether he's in the pocket or on the run, he's very accurate and has a quick release. He's married to football. He's in the office more than I am.
“People say do you think he will come back? I really don't. If this is the year he wants to go, I want him to and I hope he does, I think he’ll be a top round draft choice and I think he’ll leave. Our job is to educate the guys on what we know and what the scouts and general managers and coaches are saying about them. Then it's their job to make a decision.
“People say ‘you're already acting like he's leaving.’ I think he will. I think he’ll have that kind of year and kind of opportunity. I feel like he's already in a position in his mind where if that comes up, he’ll want to go to the next level.”
Last season, Howell finished the year with 3,586 yards, 30 touchdowns, seven interceptions, a 68.1% completion percentage, 146 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. In two seasons (25 games), Howell has 7,227 yards, 68 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, a 64.4% completion percentage, 181 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns.
Pro Football Hall of Fame executive Gil Brandt named his top five prospects in the 2022 NFL Draft and Howell was among them, including Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux, Notre Dame’s Kyle Hamilton, LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. and USC’s Drake Jackson.
As a member of the Class of 2019, Howell was a four-star prospect in the 247Sports composite rankings. He was the No. 2 overall prospect in the state of North Carolina, the No. 3 dual threat quarterback in the class and the No. 93 overall prospect in the class.