How Drake Maye proved that he's special at Manning Passing Academy

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is one of the best quarterbacks in all of college football. Part of why that’s true is that he’s incredibly competitive. When he went to the Manning Passing Academy at Nicholls State, he proved that in a skills competition.

On3’s JD PicKell explained how Maye proved he’s special during an episode of The Hard Count.

“There was a part of the skills challenge at the Manning Passing Academy where you throw a football from 50 yards into a basketball hoop,” PicKell said. “That’s why we love the summer, why we love Manning Passing Academy.”

“Drake Maye trots out there. One of the first reps that he’s taken the entire camp, one of the first reps of this drill, and just sinks it,” PicKell said.

“Game blouses. Who else wants to play? Who’s playing for second? Like Drake Maye, I don’t have a ton of questions about him. I wanted to talk about him because that story is hilarious, and I think it just proves that he’s special. And so, I’m excited to see what he does. Drake Maye doing Drake Maye things at the Manning Passing Academy.”

In 2022, Maye broke out as North Carolina’s starting quarterback. He had a 66.2% completion percentage, 4,321 yards passing, and 38 touchdowns to only seven interceptions on the season. With that has come plenty of NFL Draft hype. In his way-too-early 2024 NFL mock Draft, Todd McShay had Maye going third overall and as the second quarterback in the draft, behind only Caleb Williams.

Could North Carolina hold Drake Maye back?

As one of the best quarterbacks in college football, Drake Maye is a Heisman Trophy contender. However, as PicKell explained, being at North Carolina might hold him back from reaching that kind of honor.

“We’ll start with the positive. You have to include him because he is supremely talented and put up numbers a season ago. I mean he accounted for 45 total touchdowns, 38 passing and seven rushing. Over 4,300 yards passing, over 700 yards rushing. Like, the offense yet again, even with Phil Longo not there, is going to go through Drake Maye,” PicKell said.

“Drake Maye isn’t higher on this list through any fault of his own. The issue is Drake Maye doesn’t play defense also. And North Carolina’s defense leaves a lot to be desired. I don’t think they’re going to be much better this coming season based on what we know right now. My concern is is North Carolina, as a team, going to be in position to equip Drake Maye to be in that Heisman Trophy conversation? [Maye’s] plenty good. He’s going to make a whole lot of money in the NFL. He’ll probably be the second pick in the NFL Draft this time next season. Nobody should be down on Drake Maye,” said PicKell. “But the way the Heisman Trophy works? I have a hard time believing that he’s going to be able to, with the success of his team, just outright win it.”