Drake Maye admits ending to 2022 season adds motivation for North Carolina

In 2022, the North Carolina Tar Heels led by quarterback Drake Maye caught a lot of people by surprise, especially on the offensive side of the ball. However, toward the end of the season, the wheels fell off and North Carolina went 0-4 in its final four games.

During the 2023 ACC Football Kickoff, Maye admitted that he’s using the end of last season for motivation heading into this one.

“Obviously the way we ended last year, lost a lot of close games,” Drake Maye said. “Any way you end the season like that, I use it as motivation. That’s all we talk about.”

North Carolina started 2022 at 9-1, rising to 13th in the College Football Playoff rankings. That was despite a struggling defense and thanks in large part to Maye making the offense explosive. However, an upset loss to Georgia Tech set the Tar Heels down a rocky path, losing to NC State, Clemson in the ACC Championship Game, and Oregon in the Holiday Bowl.

“We were 9-1 rolling into Georgia Tech, and we finished 9-5,” Maye said. “Just finding ways to use it as motivation, but at the same time get over that hump and look forward to this season. We’re excited. That’s our goal to get back to the ACC Championship. I don’t think Coach or any of the guys care who we play, just as long as we’re in it. So that’s the main goal. That’s what we’re working towards.”

Expectations are massive for Drake Maye in 2023. Not only is he expected to compete for the Heisman Trophy, but he’s also expected to be a first-round NFL Draft pick in the spring. Despite that, he is staying focused on the task at hand.

“We have to start off on the right foot against South Carolina, and from there just go right ahead,” Maye said.

Mack Brown remembers when he realized Drake Maye could be special

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown explained that he knew he had something special in Drake Maye almost immediately.

“I got here after their season so I had to see video of Myers Park when he was in high school. But then when he got to the campus? It’s smooth, it’s easy, he runs so much better than people think. He gets that old gangly giraffe look and he can take off. But the thing you don’t know about him is he’s got all the other intangibles. He anticipates well, he thinks, he doesn’t make bad plays, the ball is usually where it’s supposed to be,” Brown said.

“He competes and you’ve got to be able to compete. If you’re going to make it, and especially at that position, you’ve got to compete and you’ve got to compete harder than any of the other kids because they watch you. Where I saw the difference is I watched him compete last summer and he was winning all the drills. In fact, it bothered me some.”