2024 Exclusive Sneak Peek: Drake Maye, QB UNC
Welcome to the Exclusive Sneak Peek: Drake Maye, Quarterback from North Carolina. He is from Huntersville, North Carolina, and was a 5-star recruit out of Myers Park High School.
As a freshman for North Carolina, Maye got into only 4 games where he threw for 89 yards and 1 touchdown. He was redshirted and did not appear again in 2021.
In 2022 as a redshirt freshman, he appeared in 14 games where he exploded for 4,321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns as he was easily one of the top quarterbacks in all of college football.
His final season in 2023 saw him appear in 12 games as a sophomore where he totaled 3,608 passing yards and 24 touchdowns. Despite taking a step back statistically, Maye continued his precision passing and showed his accuracy was a permanent fixture in his game.
Measurables
NCAA Statistics
| Passing | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | School | Conf | Class | Pos | G | Cmp | Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | AY/A | TD | Int | Rate |
| *2021 | North Carolina | ACC | FR | QB | 4 | 7 | 10 | 70.0 | 89 | 8.9 | 10.9 | 1 | 0 | 177.8 |
| *2022 | North Carolina | ACC | FR | 14 | 342 | 517 | 66.2 | 4321 | 8.4 | 9.2 | 38 | 7 | 157.9 | |
| *2023 | North Carolina | ACC | SO | QB | 12 | 269 | 425 | 63.3 | 3608 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 24 | 9 | 149.0 |
| Career | North Carolina | 618 | 952 | 64.9 | 8018 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 63 | 16 | 154.1 | ||||
Scouting Reports
Strengths
- Has a strong arm with great downfield velocity and accuracy.
- Great at reading defenses and progressing through his reads.
- Possesses the prototypical size and speed you would want in a quarterback.
- Excellent under pressure with great accuracy on the run.
- High-level athleticism and great quickness as a true dual-threat quarterback.
Weaknesses
- His footwork inconsistencies could lead to issues at the next level.
- Takes too many chances when under pressure and often forces the ball into bad situations.
- Can be impatient and turnover-prone, especially when faced with pressure in the pocket.
- He often holds onto the ball too long and opts to run with the ball too often, needs to develop better patience and presence.
Pre-Draft Analysis
Expected Draft Capital: Early 1st Round
Ideal Landing Spot: New England Patriots
Maye is all but certain to go in the top five picks, so he could just as easily go to the Washington Commanders. I still believe there is potential in Sam Howell and that is why I have chosen the New England Patriots as the ideal landing spot.
It’s very clear that neither Mac Jones nor Bailey Zappe is the answer for the Patriots, and with a new coaching staff set to take over, it’s very likely they would want to bring in their quarterback to start fresh.
Maye is the most pro-ready quarterback in the draft and his accuracy and precision could be a blessing for whoever New England hires to take over for Bill Belichick.
Post-Draft Analysis
Pick 1.03 to the New England Patriots
Maye
Check out The Fantasy Football Universe video breakdown of Drake Maye below.
