UNC’s Sam Howell could be ACC offensive rookie of the year. Why not player of the year?
There’s little doubt North Carolina freshman quarterback Sam Howell will win the ACC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
He’s been ACC’s Rookie of the Week six times this season, including this week after he threw for 401 yards and three touchdowns in a 41-10 win over N.C. State on Saturday.
His biggest competition is likely Louisville freshman running back Javian Hawkins, who has rushed for 1,421 yards and eight touchdowns this season. But it can be argued that Howell has meant more to his team, given his stats and his position.
Howell leads the ACC with 3,347 yards passing and 35 passing touchdowns. Of the seven ACC quarterbacks with at least 300 passing attempts, he has thrown the second-least interceptions with seven.
Does that mean he has a good chance to win the ACC Player of the Year award, too?
The answer is likely, ‘no.’
In the past, that award has gone to a player either on the best team or on one of the best teams in the ACC. Unless another players’ numbers were just eye-popping.
Like Lamar Jackson in 2017. Louisville finished 8-5 that year and tied for third in the Atlantic Division. But Jackson’s numbers were just too good to ignore. He threw for 3,660 yards, 27 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and rushed for 1,601 yards and 18 touchdowns.
He led the ACC in passing yards, rushing yards and total touchdowns (45) in 2017.
How UNC’s 6-6 record could hurt Sam Howell
While Howell’s numbers compare favorably to other players who could be ACC Player of the Year, he hasn’t won as many games. That’s the most important statistic when considering this award, said Roddy Jones, a college football analyst for ESPN’s ACC Network.
“When you look at the success of the team, it’s tough for a player on a 6-6 team to win ACC Player of the Year,” said Jones, a slotback for Georgia Tech between 2008-11.
The Tar Heels finished the regular season 6-6 and would not have made a bowl game without the win over N.C. State on Saturday.
This year, the best team in the ACC is 12-0 Clemson.
A record like that could mean the player of the year comes from the Tigers or Virginia, which finished the season 9-3 with its first win over Virginia Tech in 15 years. The award winner will likely come down to Clemson running back Travis Etienne, Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence or Virginia quarterback Bryce Perkins, who led the Cavaliers to a Coastal Division title this season. (The two teams will meet in the ACC title game on Saturday.)
“I think it’s just an uphill battle,” Jones said. “Those guys just seem to have had a bigger impact on team success in the form of wins.
“I don’t think it takes anything from Sam’s performance this year at all. To be in that conversation as a true freshman is incredibly impressive.”
Here are how those players’ numbers stack up against Howell’s:
▪ Travis Etienne: 1,386 yards rushing, 8.3 rushing average, 18 total touchdowns.
▪ Trevor Lawrence: 2,870 yards passing, 68.6 completion percentage, 30 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 383 rushing yards, 7 rushing touchdowns.
▪ Bryce Perkins: 2,949 yards passing, 64.2 completion percentage, 16 passing touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 687 rushing yards, 11 rushing touchdowns.
▪ Sam Howell: 3,347 passing yards, 60.3 percent completion percentage, 35 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 1 rushing touchdown.
Howell has ‘ACC Player of the Year potential’
Howell came to UNC in January as an early enrollee. He initially committed to Florida State, but re-opened his recruitment after FSU offensive coordinator Walt Bell took a head coaching job at UMass.
UNC coach Mack Brown said signing Howell was the No. 1 priority when he accepted the position as the Tar Heels’ head coach in November 2018.
Howell announced he was signing with the Tar Heels during the early signing period in December 2018. He won the starting job during fall camp and has performed well since.
“I’ve never had a quarterback that has that talent like that, and is that young and knows as much as he knows,” UNC junior wide receiver Dazz Newsome said. “So he’s going to be real good.”
The good news for Howell is that he has at least two more years to win player of the year, even if he’ll be up against Lawrence for at least another year. The Tar Heels are expected to return all of their receivers, their top two running backs and three of their five starting offensive lineman, setting him up for another big year.
“He’s got ACC Player of the Year potential, and I think he will be after Trevor Lawrence leaves, if he continues to develop,” Jones, the analyst, said. “There’s going to be a lot of questions at quarterback in the ACC next year.”
“North Carolina has got the quarterback situation figured out for the next two years, without a doubt.”
The ACC will announce its award winners Tuesday and Wednesday at 9 a.m. on the Durham and Packer Show on ACC Network.
This story was originally published December 2, 2019 at 3:15 PM with the headline "UNC’s Sam Howell could be ACC offensive rookie of the year. Why not player of the year?."
