Drake Maye addresses looming decision on bowl game, future

As North Carolina‘s season comes closer and closer to its end, all eyes are on star quarterback Drake Maye and what his future holds.

Maye burst onto the scene last year as a redshirt freshman, quickly establishing himself as one of the best quarterbacks in the entire country who’s now poised to be one of the top picks in the upcoming NFL Draft.

Various top prospects have sat out of their bowl games in recent history in order to avoid injury risk and get a head start on their NFL Draft preparation. And with one game remaining in the regular season versus NC State, Maye was asked if this could be his last time in a Tar Heels uniform and if he’s already considered passing up on the team’s eventual bowl game.

“No, I haven’t really given it much thought,” Maye admitted. “I think any time if you’re playing State and you’re at North Carolina this is all I’m focused about and I’m dedicating my all to go out there and beat State. So stuff like that will come after the regular season and my plan’s to play in the bowl game.”

It’s clear Maye is currently focused on ending the season strong versus an in-state rival, as both teams enter the regular season finale with 8-3 records. But when you’ve been as successful as he has during his college career, there’s no doubt that conversations about the future loom.

Following his impressive season last year, Maye took home the ACC Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Offensive Rookie of the Year awards, becoming the only player along with Jameis Winston to do so. The 6-foot-4, 230-pound passer gets it done with his arm and legs, currently having thrown for 7,675 yards, rushed for 1,041 yards, and scored 75 total touchdowns in his two seasons as a starter.

There’s no question that various NFL teams would love to have Maye be a part of their team next year, but he still has not declared for the 2024 Draft or vocalized what the next steps in his football career will be following the season.

As of now, he intends to play in North Carolina’s bowl game, but it will surely be interesting to see how he navigates through the remainder of the year as one of the most sought-after prospects in the upcoming NFL Draft along with being one of the most beloved athletes in Chapel Hill.