Tag: drake Maye

Mack Brown set to make starting QB decision very soon

The battle between Drake Maye and Jacolby Criswell is coming to an end as Mack Brown is ready to reveal UNC’s starting quarterback.

It sounds like the UNC football program is ready to announce who will be the starting quarterback for the 2022 season. And that decision will likely come in the next few days.

Per WRAL, the coaching staff will meet the team on Sunday and reveal who the starter is between [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and[autotag] Jacolby Criswell[/autotag]. Head coach Mack Brown will then tell the media on Monday as well.

The staff is planning on making an announcement to the team on Sunday, and to the media on Monday, about who will start at quarterback. The decision comes down to sophomore Jacolby Criswell and redshirt first-year Drake Maye.

The quarterback battle has been a long one as Maye and Criswell have been battling it out since the start of the year. With neither really establishing themself head and shoulders above the other, it’s lasted a little longer than UNC has wanted.

Still, the competition has been intense throughout the process.

“We’ve got two very talented quarterbacks, we’ve had em in very intense competition everyday through spring practice and in fall camp,” Brown said via WRAL. “Drake and Jacolby both have had tremendous camps.”

The Tar Heels will open the 2022 season at home against Florida A&M on Saturday night.

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Drake Maye named possible breakout player by Athlon Sports

UNC football quarterback Drake Maye has been named a potential breakout player for the 2022 season per Athlon Sports.

UNC quarterback [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] is hoping to win the starting job here in 2022 as he continues to battle Jacolby Criswell. A decision has yet to be made for the starter as we are just two weeks away from Week 0.

But that hasn’t stopped Maye from earning some preseason recognition.

The quarterback was listed as one of 50 potential breakout players in college football this season by Athlon Sports, cracking the list despite not being named the starter. Here is what the publication said on Maye ahead of 2022:

Maye has to hold off Jacolby Criswell in a tight battle for the starting quarterback spot in Chapel Hill. But assuming Maye wins the job, the ceiling is high for the North Carolina native directing this offense in 2022. The top-100 recruit took a redshirt year last fall after recording snaps in four games. Maye’s sample size was small, but the limited work was impressive (7 of 10 for 89 yards and a score and 62 rushing yards on six attempts).

The redshirt freshman is hoping to follow in the steps of Sam Howell who played three seasons in Chapel Hill and set multiple records.

And UNC may have to rely on Maye to elevate his game if he is the starter to have a successful 2022 season.

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Where Drake Maye ranks among all quarterbacks in college football

We take a look at where UNC football quarterback Drake Maye ranks among 131 college football quarterbacks by Athlon Sports.

The starting quarterback battle between [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and Jacolby Criswell continues on this August as Week 0 approaches for the UNC football program.

While UNC has yet to name a starter and Mack Brown isn’t revealing too much on who the leader is, one publication believes Maye will be the starter and is the better of the two quarterbacks.

Athlon Sports released their annual list ranking 131 quarterbacks in college football, one per team, and they have Maye ranked in the Top 100. But it’s not a very high ranking as Maye checked in at No. 79 as the publication had this to say about the quarterback:

Sam Howell will be missed, but the cupboard isn’t bare at quarterback in Chapel Hill. Jacolby Criswell – a four-star prospect in the 2020 signing class – and Maye – the No. 56 prospect in the ’21 haul – are battling to replace Howell under center this fall. No starter was declared exiting spring ball, but the guess here is Maye holds an inside track to the No. 1 spot on the depth chart. The North Carolina native played in four contests as the No. 3 quarterback last fall to preserve his redshirt season. In those limited snaps, Maye completed seven of 10 passes for 89 yards and a score and ran for 62 yards on six attempts. Criswell played in 10 games over the last two years and also posted a strong performance in the limited sample size. The Arkansas native completed 16 of 25 throws for 195 yards and a score and added 94 rushing yards in that span. Whichever quarterback wins the job inherits a receiving corps set to return No. 1 target Josh Downs (101 catches in ’21) but is also working behind an offensive line with major question marks.

Maye was recently named a redshirt freshman to watch here in 2022 by 247Sports and he very well could prove Athlon Sports wrong. But the questions about lack of weapons on the offense and a shaky offensive line are valid.

It’s now up to Maye to prove Athlon Sports and the doubters wrong.

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Drake Maye named redshirt freshmen to watch in 2022

Drake Maye is battling for the starting quarterback job at North Carolina but he’s a player to keep an eye on this season.

The quarterback battle for the UNC football program continues on as Mack Brown and his coaching staff hope to find a resolution soon enough. While we don’t know who has the clear advantage, one player in the race is earning some praise nationally.

[autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] was named to 247Sports’ top redshirt freshmen to watch for the 2022 season. The former Alabama commit flipped to UNC before the 2021 season and sat behind Sam Howell for his first year. Now he’s in a battle with [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag] for the starting spot and if Maye wins it, he’s someone that could be a national name.

Here is what Chris Hummer wrote on the quarterback:

Drake Maye is locked in one of the most interesting QB battles of the offseason as he and Jacolby Criswell push to replace Sam Howell. Maye, a five-star QB in the Top247, is the highest-ranked quarterback to ever sign with the program. We’ll know the Monday of UNC’s Week 0 contest vs. Florida A&M which quarterback wins the starting job, but either way he’s going to be on the field this year. Given the system and the skill talent the Tar Heels claim at wide receiver, Maye could be a national breakout star if he wins the starting job.

The Tar Heels are just a few weeks out from opening their 2022 season against Florida A&M and have yet to decide their quarterback. They could wait until the day of to announce and even let both have a shot with live game reps.

But the sooner it gets decided, the better for the Tar Heels.

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Mack Brown updates UNC quarterback situation

With just a few weeks until the season opener for UNC football, Mack Brown gives an update on the quarterback battle.

The UNC football program gets its 2022 season started in just about three weeks but that doesn’t mean that head coach Mack Brown will rush into a key decision at quarterback.

Redshirt freshman [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and sophomore Jacolby Criswell are in the middle of a key quarterback battle this fall and up to this point no stater has been named.

On Monday, Brown told reporters that he will aim to make a decision on who will start the season opener on the Sunday before game week.

“We’re hoping we make (the decision) on Sunday before the first game and tell you on Monday at the press conference,” Brown said on Monday. “But it still has not separated enough for us to make that decision.”

Last season, Maye was 7-of-10 for 89 yards and one touchdown. In limited playing time in two seasons, Criswell is 16-of-25 for 195 yards and one touchdown and one interception. He also has one rushing touchdown and 94 yards on the ground.

With a big change coming under center regardless of who starters, Mack Brown is focused on a few key aspects of the position.

“It’s who moves the ball and who scores,” Brown said. “… it’ll be who’s gonna protect the ball. It’s gonna be who’s gonna get the ball out their hands fast because we’re not gonna go through sacks like we did last year. It’s going to be who can convert on third and fourth down. Who runs well enough to make plays. And who’s got the poise and leadership to carry the team to the end zone.”

Regardless of the starter, it will be an entirely new era that is ushered in as the Tar Heels move on from three-year starter and standout quarterback Sam Howell.

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2022 UNC Football Preview: Quarterback position

We take a look at the 2022 quarterback position preview as the battle between Drake Maye and Jacolby Criswell continues on.

Arguably the biggest storyline for the UNC football program going into this season is at the quarterback position. With Sam Howell off the NFL, UNC has it’s first true quarterback competition since the 2019 offseason.

Redshirt freshman [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and sophomore [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag] have been battling it out all offseason to win the starting job. And so far, no true leader has emerged which could be a good or bad thing.

Head coach Mack Brown and his staff aren’t holding back in this contest and are throwing everything at the two. As training camp continues on, it doesn’t appear we are any closer to naming a winner and UNC could wait until the week of their opening game to decide who gets the nod.

As the regular season approaches, we decided to kickoff our position preview with the quarterback position and look at not only Maye and Criswell but the depth behind them.

Mack Brown and Tar Heels wont hold back in QB battle

The QB battle between Drake Maye and Jacolby Criswell is the biggest storyline for Mack Brown and the UNC football program.

The biggest storyline this training camp for the UNC Football program is the battle between [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolby Criswell [/autotag]at the quarterback position.

With Sam Howell gone, UNC will have a new signal caller for the first time since the 2018 season. And while no one has emerged as the winner just yet, head coach Mack Brown and his staff are continuing on with their evaluations as training camp gets going.

When it comes to this battle, Brown admitted that there is no holding back for these two in the competition.

“There’s no holding back,” Brown via The Times News. “We’re not worried about their confidence, we’re worried about them separating. So we’re bringing it all. We’re disguising (defenses), we’re blitzing, and we’re putting them in game-type positions to see how they handle it. And we’re telling them, you’re going to tell us who should start. We’re not going to tell you, you’ll determine that.”

That’s an interesting way of handling this better and honestly, probably the best way. Whoever wins this battle will be thrown into the fire right away as the leader of this group.

You need to have this type of competition to not only solidify your starter but prepare the backup as well in case something goes wrong.

The hope is that one of the two emerge quickly and can get those first-team reps for more experience. But as we know in the past, that’s not always the case.

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UNC football ranked inside top 20 in ESPN FPI rankings

The UNC football program is ranked inside the top 20 in the ESPN FPI rankings ahead of the 2022 season despite a down year last season.

Mack Brown has done a tremendous job over the past few seasons turning around the UNC football program quicker than others thought.

He went 7-6 in year one, 8-4 in year two and despite a slip in year three (6-7), he has led the Tar Heels to three straight bowl games, including a New Years Six Bowl in 2020 (Orange Bowl).

Despite losing a lot from the last two seasons including one of the most decorated statistical quarterbacks in program history in Sam Howell, the Tar Heels are ranked inside the top 20 in the preseason ESPN FPI rankings, checking in at No. 19.

While it may be a bit of a surprise for some people following the way last season ended, 247Sports analyst Brad Crawford is somewhat bullish on UNC this season given the talent in the conference that left this offseason.

“Any believers in Mack Brown and the Tar Heels out there? North Carolina’s appearance inside the FPI top 20 is a bit of stunner, given the team’s faults last fall during a 6-7 tumble. However, the ACC Coastal is wide open with Kenny Pickett no longer at Pittsburgh and new coaches at several division programs”

UNC will likely turn the keys under center over to second-year quarterback [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag]. Maye, a decorated high school quarterback himself, was a one-time Alabama commit.

The Tar Heels also have preseason All-American candidate [autotag]Josh Downs[/autotag] at wideout — also a projected first round draft pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

Defensively, despite losing some key pieces, UNC still has a lot of versatility and depth that should help improve its defense under new assistant defensive coordinators Gene Chizik, Charlton Warren and Tommy Thigpen who held the co-defensive coordinator title last year.

The Tar Heels certainly still have talent on their roster and with a large opening in the ACC, they could get back on track in 2022.

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Where Drake Maye, Jacolby Criswell land in ESPN’s QB tiers

ESPN ranks the UNC football quarterback battle as part of their tiers system ahead of the 2022 college football season.

The quarterback battle between [autotag]Drake Maye[/autotag] and [autotag]Jacolby Criswell[/autotag] is the biggest storyline for the UNC football program going into the 2022 season.

After Spring practices and the annual scrimmage, Mack Brown and his staff weren’t dropping any hints as to who has the lead. This battle will play out throughout the Summer and it very well could come down to the wire in terms of the winner.

But no matter who is the starter, they are going to have to elevate their game to lead the offense. Ahead of this season, ESPN ranked where each team’s quarterback play is at in tiers. And for UNC, they find their battle in Tier 10.

Here is what David Hale had to say about the QB battles this year:

All five of these teams opened the season in the AP Top 25 last year. Only Notre Dame finished with fewer than four losses. The Irish and UNC both had solid — if not always spectacular — QB play, but Jack Coan and Sam Howell have moved on. LSU, Texas A&M and Washington were undone largely because they couldn’t find anyone to generate some offense. All five teams have real potential for 2022 if they can identify a burgeoning star at QB. There are ample options, but it’s impossible to say how many will ultimately find the right answer.

Joining Maye and Criswell in terms of battles is Notre Dame (Tyler Buchner and Drew Pyne), LSU (Jayden Daniels and Myles Brennan), Texas A&M (Haynes King, Max Johnson and Conner Weigman) and Washington (Michael Penix Jr., Dylan Morris and Sam Huard).

It will be interesting to see who wins the UNC job and how they control the offense.

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Notre Dame QB commit Buchner included in final Elite 11 Roster

Irish commit Tyler Buchner now knows his competition at the prestigious Elite 11 quarterback camp.

It has been three months since Irish quarterback commit Tyler Buchner knew he was going to compete with the best at his position at the Elite 11 camp. What wasn’t known was who else would join him and on Friday the field was set.

It is a list of who’s who for the future of the position in college football. Buchner is joined by Brock Vandagrif (Georgia), Kyle McCord (Ohio State), Drake Maye (North Carolina), JJ McCarthy (Michigan), the nation’s top uncommitted prospect Caleb Williams and more.

The Elite 11 camp is one of the most prestigious quarterback camps in the football world, just look was some of their camps alumni and you’ll see an impressive list of college stars who graduated to the NFL. Houston Texan Deshaun Watson, Arizona Cardinal’s Kyler Murray, Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagoviola, and projected first round picks in Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Ohio State’s Justin Fields are just a few of the notable list of former participants. As noted on their website “25 of the 32 current NFL starting quarterback, and 12 of the past 13 quarterback who have hoisted the Heisman Trophy.” It truly is the camp to be invited to as a prep quarterback.

Being a participant at the camp doesn’t always equate to success at the collegiate level, but it is a great measuring stick against the top competition. Bucher will have his hands full against the talented field which will begin on June 29th and run through July 1st. Our eyes will surely be on Buchner and how well he does against some of the best high school quarterback talent in the country.