Drake Maye is part of a University of North Carolina family and a pretty popular one at that.
That’s not changing anytime soon, the Tar Heels quarterback said. In fact, it was never really even close to changing.
Drake Maye (10) of the North Carolina Tar Heels gets called for a face mask penalty against Trenton Simpson (22) of the Clemson Tigers in the second quarter during the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C.
(Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Maye announced Dec. 7 on Twitter he was staying at Chapel Hill, saying he could “never leave this place.”
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However, Pittsburgh coach Pat Narduzzi said Maye turned down two separate $5 million offers to transfer. Maye quickly shut that notion down.
“Those rumors weren’t really reality,” he told ESPN. “Pitt’s coach ended up putting that out there. I don’t know what that was about. You have to enter the transfer portal to talk to these schools and hear these offers.”
Maye said leaving UNC wasn’t an option, given his family’s history at the school.
His father, Mark, was a UNC quarterback. His older brother, Luke, sent the Tar Heels to the Final Four in 2017 with a last-second jumper, and they eventually won the national championship. His other brother Beau is a walk-on for the basketball team.
Drake Maye (10) of the North Carolina Tar Heels runs the ball against the Clemson Tigers in the second quarter during the ACC championship game at Bank of America Stadium Dec. 3, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C.
(Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
“It wouldn’t sit right, especially with all my family …” he said. “Switching it up after everything the Mayes went through wouldn’t represent what the university means to me or how much it means for me to go there. It’d mess up the mojo and all we’ve built there. That Carolina blue is special. There’s no other color in the world that meaningful.”
However, he believes his situation may not be very popular, and money will soon run the transfer portal.
“For me, I think college football is going to turn into a mess. They’re going to have to do something,” he said.
“There was nothing to me or my family directly offered from any of these other schools. Nothing was said or offered to the Mayes.”
Drake Maye (10) of the North Carolina Tar Heels breaks away from Drake Thomas (32) of the North Carolina State Wolfpack for a touchdown during the first half of a game at Kenan Memorial Stadium Nov. 25, 2022, in Chapel Hill, N.C. The Wolfpack won 30-27 in overtime.
(Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
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By the looks of it, Maye will be battling USC’s Caleb Williams, this season’s Heisman Trophy winner, as the first overall pick of the 2024 NFL Draft. May would become the school’s first-ever No. 1 pick.
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