College Football Isn’t Ready For Drake Maye
The University of North Carolina isn’t one known for producing NFL quarterbacks. UNC is more accustomed to producing some of the best basketball players the world has ever seen. Michael Jordan, Vince Carter, James Worthy, Bob McAdoo are the players the University is known for and the list keeps growing. Recently, UNC has become an underrated pro quarterback manufacturer. It all started out in 2017 when the Chicago Bears selected UNC product Mitch Trubisky with the 2nd pick in the NFL Draft. Trubisky had a terrific senior season at UNC, leading the Tar Heels to a 8–5 record and passing for 30 touchdowns along the way. Trubisky finally put eyes on the QB room in Chapel Hill and in 2019, Sam Howell would make sure those eyes stayed there. Howell would come in as a freshman and toss for 3,641 yards, 38 TD, and only 7 INT. Howell would earn the ACC Freshman of the Year award and would ride that momentum to two more stellar seasons at QB for the Tar Heels. Howell even rushed for 828 yards during his final year at UNC; for reference, his freshman year he only rushed for 35 yards. Howell would be selected 144th overall by the Washington Commanders in the 2022 NFL Draft. With Howell gone, Head Coach Mack Brown seems too have found the best replacement possible. His name is Drake Maye, and he might be the best QB to ever step foot in Chapel Hill.
Drake Maye was born and raised in North Carolina. More specifically, Maye was raised in Huntersville, NC, just two hours from Chapel Hill. Maye has Tar Heel in his blood. His father, Mark Maye, was the QB for the Tar Heels during the 1980’s and his brother Luke played basketball for the university. Maye was raised a UNC fan and his commitment to the Tar Heels didn’t come as much of a surprise. Maye was a highly touted recruit coming out of Myers Park High School. Maye was rated as a consensus 4 star recruit and the #9 QB in the 2021 recruiting class. Maye had initially committed to college football titan Alabama, but decommited to play for his family’s alma mater. Maye was clearly one of the best QB recruits to ever commit to UNC and it looks like he will live up to the hype.
Maye arrived in Chapel Hill during the summer of 2021 knowing he was gonna play a backup role to future NFL QB Sam Howell. Mack Brown concluded Maye would redshirt his first season at UNC and redshirt freshman Jacolby Criswell would serve as the backup. Maye, who has a very similar play style to Howell, would learn under the star QB and would get comfortable in Mack Brown’s offense, before he could get under center. With the way Maye has performed thus far in 2022, it looks like Howell and Brown gave Maye terrific developmental support.
This summer, Maye was pitted against now sophomore QB Jacolby Criswell, and Maye showed out. Maye had a terrific showing in practice and performed well enough for Mack Brown to give the 6'4 freshman the starting job. Criswell would have to settle for the backup spot for a second year in a row.
UNC’s first game of the season was a week 0 matchup with HBCU Florida A&M. UNC came into the game favored by 45 points. UNC was expected to absolutely demolish A&M, but that doesn’t discount the amazing performance Drake Maye put on in his first collegiate action. Maye took the first half of the first quarter to get fully comfortable, but a 42 yard run into A&M territory busted open the gates. Maye looked extremely elusive on the run, making four defenders miss with juke moves and absorbing a hit from a safety at the end of the long run. Maye completed the drive with a perfect 19 yard touchdown lob down the middle of the field. The throw was placed perfectly over two trailing defenders. Maye looked comfortable under pressure and had multiple throws running out of the pocket, with throws just as good as when Maye stayed untouched in the pocket. Maye’s confidence and sense of security, no matter the situation is something most quarterbacks can only dream of having. Maye having this at such a young age (He only turned 19 a week ago) is something NFL scouts will be drooling over.
As the game went on, Maye looking more and more comfortable with every drive, looked like a natural with the play breaking down. Maye doesn’t force the ball downfield, and welcomes the check down when necessary. Maye makes smart decisions with the football, and doesn’t complicate things for himself. A QB with good decision making is one that will have a spot on a pro roster forever. All the arm talent and natural gifts in the world can only get players so far, smarts is the thing that gets QB’s where they need to be, Drake Maye has the smarts. Maye’s most outstanding throw of the day was a 28 yard strike to receiver Josh Downs during the 4th quarter. Maye put the ball right down the middle of the field and beat out two tightly blanketed defenders for the score. The velocity on this ball looked perfect and Maye’s ability to put the ball in tight spots was reminiscent of what Joe Burrow did countless times at LSU. Sam Howell had a gift for putting the ball where only the receiver can get it in tight windows, Maye is showing he has the same gift.
UNC won the game 56–24 on the back of Maye’s terrific debut. In total, Maye passed for 294 yards, 5 TD, and 0 INT. Maye also completed nearly 80% of his 37 pass attempts and rushed for 55 yards on 4 attempts. For comparison, Sam Howell only totaled 245 yards, 2 TD, 0 INT, and a 62.5% completion percentage against South Carolina in his college debut. Maye’s competition might’ve been worse, but he showed that he can make the throws, and a 80% completion percentage will be impressive no matter the level of opponent. Maye continued his excellence this past week against Appalachian State.
Maye would find early success as he completed a 23 yard rolling touchdown strike to JJ Jones. Maye found Jones in the only window he could, letting Jones run to the ball near the sideline as a defender followed him tightly from behind. After falling behind 21–7, Maye led the team back, and with 7 seconds remaining in the 2nd quarter Maye found tight end Bryson Nesbit over the middle with a 10 yard strike for a touchdown. This beautiful throw gave UNC a 28–21 lead and the throw couldn’t have been any more perfect. Maye quickly releases the ball off the snap and high points the ball for the 6'5 Nesbit, who has a corner directly behind him and a closing defender on his left side. Maye placed and timed the throw at the only point it could be a completion, while under the stress of an expiring clock. By my assessment, this is Maye’s best throw in his collegiate career thus far.
Maye continued to do his thing in the 2nd half. UNC’s offense, under the command of Maye, scored 63 points in the shootout and beat Appalachian State 63–61. Maye had a comparable performance to his debut, finishing with 352 yards through the air, 4 TD, 0 INT, and a 69% completion percentage on 35 attempts. The QB was also lethal on the ground yet again. He finished with 76 yards on 12 attempts, while also scoring a touchdown with his legs. Dominating a premier group of 5 squad is something Maye should be very proud of, especially a school as consistently good as Appalachian State. We’ll need to wait a couple of weeks for Maye to face a power 5 opponent, but when he does, I don’t expect him to slow down.
Through two performances, Drake Maye has already looked as good as his mentor Sam Howell. Maye has the same velocity, decision making, legs, and improvising skills that Howell had. Maye has even outperformed Howell’s numbers in his first two collegiate starts. While Howell waited until his final season to show off his legs, Maye’s are already developed, pulling off amazing runs from the jump. Maye shows of a confidence and ability to make throws that only the best of the best posses. Maye now leads college football in yards (646), TD (9), and lack of INT (0). To start out this hot as a freshman is amazing. If I were to predict the 2024 NFL Draft class right now, i’d have to put Maye at the top of the QB list. People might think this is an overreaction, but through just two starts I can see Maye has it. You can tell when a QB is the real deal and Drake Maye is just that. I don’t think college football is gonna be prepared to take on Drake Maye.
