UNC Pembroke featured one of the most dynamic quarterbacks in the state last season.
Colin Johnson led all levels of North Carolina college football with 36 touchdown passes and directed an offense that averaged better than 43.5 points per game.
Despite sustaining an injury early in the 2024 campaign, Johnson still threw for 514 yards in one game (and 7 TDs), 451 yards (and five TDs) in another and 300+ in yet three others. The Braves won six of the last seven games to finish 6-5, 6-3 in their Mountain East Conference swansong.
But Johnson, who played his high school football at Lee County, exhausted his eligibility after 2024, leaving UNC Pembroke fans to wonder who’s next in the queue.
Alas, that wait is going to take a bit longer, possibly up until the season opener at Wingate in late August. UNCP coach Mark Hall deferred naming a starter or a depth chart during Thursday’s Conference Carolinas media day in Greenville, SC.
“I will not be releasing any secrets today,” Hall said. “But we feel good about our quarterback group … We have a really deep group of QBs – some returners and some newcomers. I think every single one of those guys brings something to the table.”
UNC Pembroke still lists its 2024 player lineup on the school’s athletics Website. Including Johnson, the Braves carried seven quarterbacks on the roster a year ago.
Tre Robinson (Charlotte | Chambers HS) played in six games as a freshman, completing 19-of-32 passes for 214 yards and three touchdowns. He still lists “qb at @uncp_football” on his social media.
Caleb Pierce (Tampa, FL | Hillsborough HS) and Caleb Locklear (Fayetteville | Jack Britt) were the only other QBs to throw passes for the Braves in ‘24.
Pierce had followed coach Hall from Chowan to UNC Pembroke after making the CIAA all-rookie team with the Hawks in 2022. He did not complete a pass in 2024. Locklear went 3-for-3 with a touchdown. Locklear’s social media currently lists him as a transfer portal quarterback.
Hall signed one quarterback with the announced 2025 freshman class, Panther Creek’s Tyler Walker.
“Obviously losing Colin Johnson, he was an unbelievable player for us,” Hall said. “He was second in the nation last year in touchdown passes. I wish I could coach Colin every year.”
With Johnson at the helm and other weapons at the ready, UNC Pembroke’s offense seemed to find another gear around October the past two years. After slogging through September 2024 with an 0-4 record, the Braves caught fire and scored 58+ points in five of their last seven contests – including 79 against West Virginia Wesleyan and 67 against West Liberty.
In 2023, UNCP averaged 45.9 points per game over the final seven contests, winning six of them.
Hall said he’s hoping to get the offense untracked a little earlier this time around. And believe this is possible with whoever wins the starting job.
“Our offense isn’t a cookie-cutter offense where you can just show up, learn in two weeks, and feel comfortable in it. So it takes time,” he said. “But one of my main goals, not only as the head coach, but as the guy that runs the offense, is to not wait until week five to all of a sudden start scoring. I think if we can come out the gates a little better this year, I think we have a chance to be highly competitive in that first half of the season.”
UNC Pembroke has been anointed as one of the top teams in the inaugural season of Conference Carolinas football reboot. The Braves tied with North Greenville atop the preseason coaches poll, released Wednesday. UNCP received four first place votes, while North Greenville earned three.
The early schedule will be a challenge. After Wingate, the Braves host perennial CIAA contender Fayetteville State and then entertain Delta State, a playoff-caliber team out of the Gulf South Conference.
The Conference Carolinas’ opener will be at home against Ferrum the week after that (Sept. 20). Then UNCP travels to Georgia to face Valdosta State, the 2024 Gulf South champ and Division II national runner-up.
Whoever wins the starting quarterback job this fall will carry high expectations.
“I think every single one of those guys brings something to the table,” Hall said of his current QB room. “They’re highly competitive. They all have talent. They’ve been battling since January.
“We still have the last phase of the process of the competition to kind of figure it out. We’ll have to wait and see on August 30th who’s taking the first snap against Wingate.”
👉 Check out the complete Conference Carolinas preseason football poll as well as preseason watch-list players from each school HERE.
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