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North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, one of the top NFL prospects in college football, told ESPN that he is forgoing the rest of his eligibility at UNC to show up for the NFL draft.
Maye, a redshirt sophomore, started all 26 games of his career over the past two seasons at UNC. He told ESPN on Monday that he will not play in Duke’s Mayo Bowl against West Virginia. He will leave the school with an impressive 17-9 start.
“Just sitting down with my family and the people I trust the most in life, including my coaches,” Maye said. “This is the best decision for me and my future, my lifelong dream is to play quarterback in North Carolina, and I have a chance to check another dream and play quarterback in the NFL.”
Maye is a candidate to be the No. 1 overall pick in the draft, and his decision to announce it sets the stage for a six-month debate over that position. The USC quarterback Caleb Williams has not announced his intention for 2024, but also indicated that he will not play in the postseason.
In his career at North Carolina, Maye threw for 8,018 yards, which is No. 5 on UNC’s all-time list. His 63 points put him No. 4 on the list.
Maye led UNC to the ACC championship game in 2022, as the Tar Heels started the season 9-1 and climbed as high as the Number 13 in the rankings. This season, UNC started the year 6-0 and climbed as high as No. 10.
Some of the biggest forces in the game expressed interest in Maye after the 2022 season, but he said he has not wavered in his commitment to UNC and has no regrets.
“This is where I want to play quarterback,” Maye told ESPN. “Looking back on my time in college, I can’t imagine playing anywhere else. Last spring, when you heard the rumors flying around after the season that about me moving somewhere else, it wouldn’t have been a good fit and with me and my family and the legacy that I’m trying to go to Carolina. I wanted to play here at North Carolina, and I’m not going to change that. something.”
Maye said he took a philosophical approach last Monday afternoon, and is slowly getting ready for the next part of his career – getting ready for the draft. He plans to show teams what kind of player, competitor and person they are getting.
“First, move on from college and get back to the games and just learn the steps of preparing for the NFL draft,” Maye said about the coming weeks. “Not only physically but mentally, playing quarterback in the NFL is a mental game, I want to show the NFL that I am not only competitive, but that I am a winner and a leader and I am ready to make a freedom.”
The fallout between Maye and Williams started before this college season and could extend into the night. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bears have the top pick through a trade with the Carolina Panthers, who have the league’s biggest pick. The New England Patriots are ranked No. 2 at 3-10, and have a stronger schedule than the Arizona Cardinals, who are also 3-10.
Maye said that he is aware of the rivalry between him and Williams and that he accepts it.
“We didn’t fight our team on the field,” Maye said. “The media has put a war between our game. He’s a good player and he’s a good friend of mine, but I’m trying to prove that I can be the best quarterback in this game.”
No consensus among NFL teams on who will go No. 1, whether Chicago trades or holds the pick was one of the top stories of the week. come An NFL insider told ESPN that the final decision may come down to fair play.
“It’s going to come down to which team has No. 1 and what kind of offense they run,” the executive said. “Honestly, it depends on the event coordinator and the program they’re running, they’re going to go for strength and emotion.
Maye is 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds and fits the mold of the typical NFL quarterback.
“In most cases, he’ll go No. 1,” the executive said. “His skill set reminds me of Eli Manning coming out of college. He’s a clean, smooth passer with a great release. He’ll fit well in an offense that focuses on in time and three-step and five-step drops and throwing the ball in spots, this is a franchise that puts the ball and time at a price.”
For Maye, the decision to leave UNC was more emotional than most. He grew up dreaming of playing for Carolina, just like his father, Mark, a former UNC quarterback, and older brother, Luke, who cheered on the UNC basketball team. Maye attended UNC with his brother Beau, who is on the Tar Heels hoops team. His mother, Aimee, also went to UNC.
Maye said Monday that he changed his commitment from Alabama to UNC, a sign of how badly he wants to play. He repeatedly expressed his gratitude for coach Mack Brown and said he would also like to thank his family and the UNC fan base for their support.
“The fans mean a lot to me and what they’ve done and the support they’ve given me and my family, it goes a long way,” Maye said.
“It’s the people that make the place. It’s just the people that make Chapel Hill special. It’s the best college town I think there is. Just seeing that Carolina blue every day, it’s a this is one of the best colors in the field.”