Jacolby Criswell’s ‘moneymaker’ making UNC football more competitive

Not long after Jacolby Criswell returned to North Carolina this year, the quarterback was going through a media interview and began glancing down at his right arm.

“This is the moneymaker,” he said.

Moneymaker? Strong arm or not, Criswell transferred to UNC with little college experience and no assurances about any playing time. Tar Heels coach Mack Brown had told him that he would not figure into the football plans this season. Maybe in the spring – of 2025.

Criswell was late arriving from Arkansas. He was injured and could not work out with the team. He was out of shape. He had no real grasp of UNC’s offense.

But here we are about to enter the November part of the 2024 schedule and Criswell has, to use a word, arrived. He’s in better shape. He has a good grasp of the offense. He’s the starter.

Criswell had shown his right arm is strong enough and that he is accurate enough throwing the ball to give the Tar Heels efficient play at the position.

And not just efficient play. Winning play.

Criswell picked up his first victory as a starter Saturday as the Heels dominated Virginia, 41-14, passing for 293 yards and two scores. He did not have an interception and has gone the past three games without one – 106 passes without a pickoff.

“He did everything right,” Brown said Monday. “He’s running better. He’s making checks at the line of scrimmage better.

“You can even imagine being thrown in there like we threw him in there, without any background, any knowledge. It was, ‘Here, take it.’”

Suddenly the starter

When starting quarterback Max Johnson suffered a broken leg in the season opener at Minnesota, sophomore Conner Harrell took over but was too inconsistent. The ball went to Criswell, who had three passes picked off in the Heels’ wipeout loss to James Madison – and nearly wiped himself out trying to make a tackle after one of the picks – and started the three consecutive ACC losses against Duke, Pittsburgh and Georgia Tech.

“I did tell him Tuesday that the only thing quarterbacks will be remembered for is wins,” Brown said. “I said, ‘That’s going to be your legacy. Your legacy is the games you win. … They’re just going to look at the record books and see your name and see your record. So you’ve got to win games.’”

After the Heels beat Virginia, Brown said Criswell told him, “I got that win.”

This is what Criswell expected when he first arrived in Chapel Hill in January 2020, after the Arkansas native was recruited and signed by UNC. Brown recalled Monday that Criswell probably outplayed Drake Maye in the spring game in 2022, only to have Maye win the starting position in fall camp that year.

Criswell left, transferring to Arkansas. Maye played his way to the NFL the past two seasons. Now, Criswell is back, getting his chance.

“The thing Jacolby has always had,” Brown said, “he’s got great feet but he’s got a rocket for an arm and he’s got a quick release. There’s no question in my mind he has a chance to be an NFL player. He’s just got to continue to grow.

“His life has been disadvantaged in so many ways, and he’s overcome that. His football has been disadvantaged in so many ways. He’s had such bad luck. And here he is. He’s overcoming it, too, because he’s got a great attitude.

“We’ve always thought he’s so talented he can be really good. We’re starting to see that and I think we’ll see that in the last four games.”

Hitting the road again

The Tar Heels (4-4 overall, 1-3 ACC) will be on the road again this week, facing off against Florida State (1-7, 1-6) at Doak Campbell Stadium. In a scheduling quirk, they’ll then have a second bye week before the finishing stretch against Wake Forest, Boston College and N.C. State.

The Heels made the most of their first bye week, as evidenced by their play at Virginia. They grieved the loss of teammate Tylee Craft, who died of cancer on Oct. 12, and attended his funeral. They prepared to play football again, then had their most complete game of the season at Scott Stadium in Charlottesville.

Criswell said he wore a wrist band with “13” on it – Craft’s jersey number.

“Any time I got knocked down, I looked down and said, ‘I’m getting back up for you,’” Criswell said. “Tylee means a lot to this team, and he can do a lot for us as we continue to move forward and continue to play the kind of ball he would want us to play.”

The Tar Heels led the Cavaliers 17-6 late in the first half, but got a defensive stop and then added a gut-punch of a touchdown. With five seconds left before halftime, Criswell gunned a 31-yard strike to wideout J.J. Jones in the left corner of the end zone.

The “moneymaker” delivered on that one.

“What an unbelievable throw and catch,” Brown said. “Those are plays we haven’t been making. Probably the play of the game.”

An even-keeled leader

No one can recall seeing Criswell show much emotion, after big plays or bad during games. Not Brown. Nor offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, who says Criswell’s demeanor doesn’t change, on or off the field.

“He doesn’t get too high or too low, and you have to play that way at quarterback,” Lindsey said Monday.

Before this season, Criswell had completed 35 of 58 passes in his four-year college career for 347 yards. His totals this season: 124 of 217 passing, for 1,660 yards and 10 TDs.

“The game has slowed down tremendously for me,” Criswell said Saturday. “The game has slowed down and everything is coming back to me the way I once played.”

After having Sam Howell and then Maye at quarterback, Brown went into this season anticipating he likely would play two -- Johnson, a transfer from Texas A&M, and Harrell. Criswell? Brown said he’s unlike any other quarterback he has had as a coach.

Back in July, at that media interview, Criswell said, “I’m not Drake or Sam. I’m Jacolby Criswell and I have my own story and I want to write it myself.

“It may not go as planned, but it will probably be close.”