Suddenly, Carolina is loaded with quarterbacks who all can play — and play well.

Mack Brown’s first Tar Heel team of his second tenure has about 18 starters back, however you figure it. On offense, it is hard to say that about the quarterback position, but all four returnees have either started or played extended minutes. Then, there’s recruit Sam Howell.

Word on the street is that Chaz Surratt, the best athlete of all the QBs, will be switched to another position on offense or to the secondary. That may eventually happen, but I cannot see Brown not giving Surratt a chance to show more consistency and avoid injuries.

Nathan Elliott is the most experienced starter, which ironically means he may not play at all as a fifth-year senior. Since Elliott wants to be a coach, I can see Brown giving him the position of graduate assistant to make room for the younger quarterbacks to fight it out.

Besides Surratt, returning red-shirt freshmen Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder showed enough glimpses in their time on the field that both will join Surratt as contenders during spring practice. And Howell, the 6-foot-1, 220-pounder from Monroe, North Carolina, is enrolling in January, so he too can get snaps and learn the offense in the spring.

Howell is the No. 2-ranked player in the state and No. 87 overall, and he’s the No. 3 pro-style passer in the class of 2018 with his big arm. He had committed to Florida State, but it seems like UNC has been his favorite school for years. Now that Brown settles the unknown head-coaching status and has hired top-flight offensive coordinator Phil Longo, Howell flipped from the Noles to the Heels.

Brown and Longo welcome back all but one starter on the offensive line, four hard-running backs and a bevy of quality receivers. They all fell short of their potential because of the spotty quarterback play. Now that the prospects are much brighter at field general, and Brown is a proven CEO, the mistakes that plagued Fedora’s team for the last two years will surely be cleaned up.

If one or two of the QBs shine during training camp, Carolina will go from anemic to explosive virtually overnight.

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