By R.L. Bynum
Quarterback Drake Maye, last season’s ACC Player of the Year, leads three Carolina players on the preseason All-ACC team announced Wednesday on UNC’s first day of practice and is the Preseason Player of the Year.
Joining the 6–4, 230-pound redshirt sophomore are 6–2½, 200-pound Kent State junior transfer wide receiver Tez Walker and 6–2½, 235-pound senior linebacker Cedric Gray. The Tar Heels’ three selections were the third-most after seven for league favorite Clemson and four for Florida State.
Maye outdistanced Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis for Preseason Player of the Year honors 88–66 in a vote of 176 media members who attended ACC Kickoff in Charlotte last week.
Maye’s honor came two days after being named to the 85-player Maxwell Award watchlist. He became the only ACC player in the last 25 years to throw for at least 300 yards and to rush for at least 50 in four consecutive games.
Maye connected on 342 of 517 passes for 4,321 yards and 38 touchdowns while rushing for 698 yards and seven scores last season. He became the sixth quarterback since 2010 to throw for 4,000 yards and 35 touchdowns and also rushed for 650 yards and seven touchdowns in a season.
In 20 games for Kent State, Walker caught 63 passes for 1,045 yards and 12 touchdowns.
Gray’s honor came a day after being one of 96 players named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which goes to the nation’s best defensive player. Gray led the ACC with 145 tackles last season, including 12 for losses, and was a first-team All-ACC pick in 2022.
Preseason All-ACC team
QB: Drake Maye, North Carolina (107 votes)
RB: Will Shipley, Clemson (169)
RB: Trey Benson, Florida State (125)
WR: Johnny Wilson, Florida State (117)
WR: Tez Walker, North Carolina (51)
WR: Jalon Calhoun, Duke (49)
TE: Oronde Gadsden II, Syracuse (89)
AP: Will Shipley, Clemson (105)
OT: Graham Barton, Duke (110)
OT: Matt Goncalves, Pitt (58)
OG: Christian Mahogany, Boston College (101)
OG: Javion Cohen, Miami (69)
C: Bryan Hudson, Louisville (56)
DE: Jared Verse, Florida State (136)
DE: Donovan Ezeiruaku, Boston College (58)
DT: Tyler Davis, Clemson (124)
DT: DeWayne Carter, Duke (97)
LB: Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Clemson (132)
LB: Cedric Gray, North Carolina (109)
LB: Barrett Carter, Clemson (87)
CB: Fentrell Cypress II, Florida State (88)
CB: Aydan White, N.C. State (85)
S: Kam Kinchens, Miami (117)
S: Andrew Mukuba, Clemson (46)
PK: Andres Borregales, Miami (70)
P: Daniel Sparks, Virginia (54)
SP: Will Shipley, Clemson (68)
Preseason Player of the Year
1. Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina (88 votes)
2. Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State (66)
3. Will Shipley, RB, Clemson (17)
4. Jeremiah Trotter Jr., LB, Clemson (3)
T5. Riley Leonard, QB, Duke (1)
T5. Tyler Davis, DT, Clemson (1)
Votes in parentheses
176 media voters
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 via @UNCFootball
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