Drake Maye and Caleb Williams are two of the best players you’re going to watch across college football this season.
Maye is UNC’s quarterback and one of the top prospects in the 2024 NFL Draft. Last year, he finished fourth among FBS quarterbacks in passing yards (4,321) and led the Tar Heels in net rushing yards (698). Maye also won ACC Player of the Year, ACC Offensive Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, ACC Offensive Rookie of the Year and First-Team All-ACC honors.
Williams, who transferred from Oklahoma after the 2021 campaign, is coming off a Heisman Trophy-winning season at USC. He ended his junior season with 4,537 passing yards (third in FBS) and led the Trojans to a regular-season title, but they fell to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game. He holds several school records, including total offense and touchdown passes.
In 247Sports’ ranking of every Power 5 quarterback, Maye edges out Williams for the top spot.
Read about why 247Sports writer Clint Brewster ranked Maye ahead of Williams:
“It’s nearly impossible to find a weakness in Maye’s game as a 6-foot-5, 225-pound quarterback that has the mind of Peyton Manning and the passing skillset of Josh Allen,” Brewster said. “I could literally watch tape of him all day. Maye threw for 4,321 yards with 38 touchdowns and also ran for 698 yards as a redshirt freshman in 2022. The former 5-star recruit will polish off his redshirt sophomore season this fall and bolt to the NFL.”
Brewster praised Williams, too, arguing that he and Maye are basically interchangeable at the top two spots:
“Williams is a magician in the pocket and has arm power that jumps off the screen,” Brewster said. “The leadership skills and confidence he displayed since he has started college is incredible, when you pair that with his natural ability on the field. He’s a generational person and player that could take the NFL by storm in a couple years.”
Who knows – maybe Maye and Williams will meet in their careers later down the line.
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