By R.L. Bynum
CHARLOTTE — The prevailing assumption of the college football world, including Carolina coach Mack Brown, is that quarterback Drake Maye’s redshirt sophomore season as a Tar Heel will be his last.
Not so fast, says the Heisman Trophy candidate and likely high pick in the 2024 NFL draft if he chooses to enter it. He says he’d consider returning for his redshirt junior season, particularly if UNC falls short of its goals.
“I think coming back is definitely in the question,” Maye said at ACC Kickoff on Thursday at The Weston Charlotte. “This is the third year. I want to obviously graduate, and however the year plays out. I hope we win all the games we can.”
Some pick Carolina as high as third in the ACC after a nine-win season. That finish wasn’t satisfying for Maye, given how the season ended. He’s determined to leave Chapel Hill with some big victories.
“Coming back and staying for this great university, playing another year? You can’t say no to that,” said Maye, who completed 342 of 517 passes for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns while for 698 yards and seven TDs last season. “Also, at the same time, it’s my dream to play in the NFL. So let’s see how this year plays out. But North Carolina is special.”
After last season, there was speculation that Maye would leave Carolina, and there were rumors about other schools offering him big NIL money to leave. Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi told a radio station that two schools offered Maye $5 million to transfer.
“I think all the rumors and behind-the back stuff, I don’t think was treated the right way,” Maye said. “That Pittsburgh coach? I’m not sure where he got that number from. I wasn’t even aware of it. A lot of rumors kind of rise behind the fence from what I was aware of. I just never planned on leaving North Carolina.”
Late last year, Maye posted on social media that he would return to UNC for his junior year, much to the relief of Tar Heels fans. But Maye said he thought that everybody should have been able to figure that out without him making an announcement,
“I think the best thing about the way we handled it is that none of them reached out to me,” Maye said. “Some contacted my high school coach. I love my North Carolina. That’s the main thing. There were a lot of stories, a lot of rumors going around that some schools contacted me. I never talked to anybody. I wouldn’t do that.”
Tar Heels fans can revel in the potential greatness that Maye could bring to Carolina this season. And he left at least some hope that it won’t be his last in Chapel Hill.
UNC schedule
UNC schedule
| Month/ date | Opponent/event | 2023 record | UNC record in series |
|---|---|---|---|
| April | |||
| 20 | Spring game, 3 p.m. | — | — |
| August | |||
| 29 (Thurs.) | at Minnesota | 6–7 | 1–0 |
| September | |||
| 7 | Charlotte | 3–9 | 0–0 |
| 14 | N.C. Central | 9–3 | 0–0 |
| 21 | James Madison | 11–2 | 3–0 |
| 28 | at Duke | 8–5 | 65–40–4 |
| October | |||
| 5 | Pittsburgh | 3–9 | 12–5 |
| 12 | Georgia Tech | 7–6 | 22–33–3 |
| 26 | at Virginia | 3–9 | 66–58–4 |
| November | |||
| 2 | at Florida State | 13–1 | 3–17–1 |
| 16 | Wake Forest | 4–8 | 72–36–2 |
| 23 | at Boston College | 7–6 | 6–2 |
| 30 | N.C. State | 9–4 | 68–39–6 |
Photo courtesy of the ACC
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