There are very few holes in Drake Maye’s game.
Maye, the University of North Carolina football team’s star quarterback, has become a household name in college football after just one season as a starter. He finished fourth in the entire FBS with 4,321 passing yards last year, one spot behind Heisman Trophy winner Caleb Williams. Maye also showcased his running abilities, leading the Tar Heels with 698 rushing yards.
Not only is Maye a Heisman Trophy contender in his third year, he’s also a top prospect for the 2024 NFL Draft.
NFL Draft Analyst Daniel Jeremiah had tons of high praise for Maye’s game, but also highlighted an area Maye could improve upon to further boost his draft stock:
“Ball security isn’t a major concern, but he did force a couple throws in the Miami game, which led to turnovers,” Jeremiah said. “Also, he’s put the ball on the ground a few times as a ball-carrier. I’m not concerned about the interceptions (he threw just seven last season), but he does need to secure the ball better as a rusher. That is an easy fix. He’s very accurate throwing off platform when under pressure, but there are examples where he will unnecessarily fall off throws while operating in a clean pocket. There really wasn’t anything alarming to be concerned about after studying his tape.”
Entering the upcoming season, which begins on Saturday, Sept. 2 against South Carolina at Bank of America Stadium (7:30 p.m., ABC), Maye will need to play even better if UNC wants any shot at a national championship. He helped the Heels start 9-1, before an embarrassing loss to Georgia started a tailspin of four straight.
There is no Josh Downs or Antoine Green to catch passes this year – the NFL duo combined for 1,827 yards and 18 touchdowns. Instead, Maye should focus on further developing his chemistry with tight ends Bryson Nesbit, Kamari Morales and John Copenhaver (1,087 yards, eight touchdowns combined last season), who give UNC easily one of the country’s top pass-catching trios.
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