It's extremely difficult to be a freshman in any sport, regardless of whether you're playing college football or high school basketball.
One freshman who had no issue stepping into the spotlight is Sam Howell , who left UNC as its all-time leader in career passing yards and touchdowns. Howell started all 13 games during his 2019 freshman season at North Carolina, which ended in a 55-13 thumping of Temple in the Military Bowl . With 3,641 passing yards and 38 touchdowns, it came as no surprise when Howell won ACC Rookie of the Year honors.
Not only was Howell's true freshman season the best-ever amongst Tar Heel quarterbacks , but one of the best since 2000. In CBS Sports' "Top 25 True Freshman of the Century" rankings , Howell slotted in at 19th.
"Howell helped begin Mack Brown's second stint in Chapel Hill with a bang," Chris Hummer wrote. "He threw for 3,641 yards and an ACC-best 38 touchdowns against just seven interceptions, helping the Tar Heels improve by five wins compared to a 2-9 effort during the 2018 campaign under Larry Fedora. The only true freshman quarterback with a better statistical debut than Howell is the No. 1 player on this list."
Howell played sparingly during his 2022 rookie NFL season , then took over as the Washington Commanders' starter in 2023. Howell backed up Geno Smith on the Seattle Seahawks in 2024 – and will now do the same to J.J. McCarthy on the Minnesota Vikings.
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This article originally appeared on Tar Heels Wire: UNC star Sam Howell 19th on CBS Sports' Top 25 True Freshman List
