Drake Maye addresses looming decision on NFL Draft

As the regular season nears the end, decisions are upcoming for a lot of NFL prospects who haven’t yet exhausted their collegiate eligibility. That includes North Carolina star quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye’s season probably hasn’t gone quite the way he would have hoped, with the program suffering back-to-back losses midway through the year to fall out of College Football Playoff contention.

That’s been no fault of Maye’s of course; the sophomore quarterback has been excellent. Still, now NFL Draft decisions loom.

“I think it’s tough. I think there’s some decisions a little bit, probably a month or two away, that you have to make,” Maye said. “I think really my parents and my brothers are really the minds that matter the most, and just trust my gut and what I think is right and what I think is best for me.”

Maye has been elite at North Carolina and is widely regarded as a potential first-round NFL Draft pick should he choose to leave school.

In two years and change, Drake Maye has accounted for 7,555 passing yards, with 60 touchdowns and just 13 interceptions. He has also run for 1,036 yards and 15 scores.

His ability to run the offense has many NFL scouts drooling over his potential.

On top of being good at keeping things in sync offensively, Maye is a threat with his legs when he wants to be. That escapability will help him at the next level, to be sure. Whenever he opts to pursue it.

“I love this school and love this place, but at the same time my dream is to play in the NFL and get there,” Maye said. “It’s down the road. Got a lot left to play for here in college, but at the same time I trust my family.”

North Carolina has two games left, both on the road. The program will take on Clemson and NC State. Win both and there’s a decent chance North Carolina could slip into a New Year’s Six bowl, particularly if Florida State wins out and reaches the College Football Playoff.

Whether a New Year’s Six bowl would be enough to entice Maye to stick around remains to be seen.

The talented quarterback will have no shortage of quality options, whether he decides to return to school or opts to enter the 2023 NFL Draft.

So far this season Drake Maye has accounted for 31,135 yards passing with 21 touchdowns and six interceptions. He has also run for 276 yards and eight touchdowns.