Mack Brown shares key improvements needed from Drake Maye

North Carolina freshman Drake Maye stormed onto the scene in 2022, very nearly in contention for the Heisman Trophy if not for a bit of a rough finish to the season.

But Maye is intent on getting better this offseason, with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey tasked with getting even more out of the uber-talented quarterback.

“Drake can really improve in a lot of areas, and he would be the first to tell you,” coach Mack Brown said.

The first area that stands out as a spot to work on might actually surprise you, given Maye’s ability as a runner. He wants to fix his footwork.

“He really wants to work on his footwork because he’s so talented he can throw the ball off-balance and without footwork and still be really good,” Brown said. “He wants to work on his throwing motion some. He wants to work on having a better presence in the pocket so he doesn’t drift. Because some of those, he’d readily admit, he and Sam (Howell), some of the sacks were on the quarterback because they’ve got to get rid of the ball.”

Drake Maye finished the 2022 season with 4,321 yards passing and 38 touchdowns, against just seven interceptions. He also added 698 yards and seven touchdowns rushing.

But Brown would like to see his quarterback take the easy play a little more often. Sometimes not going for the hero ball outlet is the right play, maybe even more often than not.

“You’ve got to drop the ball off more, we can’t always go for the deep ball,” Brown said. “Now you’ve got Chip, you’ve got Freddy (Kitchens), you’ve got Clyde (Christensen), you’ve got some of the best that have ever done it in that room. It’s going to be fun to watch those quarterbacks grow.”