North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye said Monday that he will enter the 2024 NFL Draft, foregoing his final two years at UNC, and also the Tar Heels’ bowl game against West Virginia later this month.
“Just sitting down with my family and the people I trust the most in life, including my coaches, this is the best decision for me and my future,” Maye told ESPN in an interview on Monday. “It was my lifelong dream to play quarterback at North Carolina, and I get a chance to check off another dream and play quarterback in the NFL.”
Maye, a 6’4”, 230-pounder, is almost certainly a top five pick, and could be the #1 – the other top contender for the top pick being USC QB Caleb Williams, who has yet to formally declare for next spring’s draft.
Maye put up big numbers in his two years as the starter at UNC – passing for 8,018 yards, completing 64.9 percent of his pass attempts, with 63 TDs and 16 INTs.
He also gained 1,209 yards and scored 16 TDs on the ground.
The one item on his resume that doesn’t read so well – he was just 17-9 as a starter, with each of his two seasons ending with big thuds.
The 2022 Tar Heels lost their last four after a 9-1 start; the 2023 season saw UNC start 6-0 and climb into the Top 10 in the national polls, before a 2-4 fade that included a loss to a three-win Virginia team.
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Chris Graham
