The Tar Heels have already lost two significant pieces of the team to the NFL today, but the biggest domino has just fallen.
Just moments ago, Tar Heel quarterback Drake Maye announced that he will be forgoing his final two seasons of eligibility heading to the NFL Draft where he will likely be selected in the top five of April’s draft. As expected, Maye will opt to sit out the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, meaning that his outstanding Tar Heel career has officially come to an end.
Maye had another big season for Carolina, helping them to race out to a 6-0 start for just the sixth time in program history. He finished the regular season first in the ACC in passing yards (3,608), total yards (4,057) and second in passing touchdowns (24) and total touchdowns responsible for (33). With him not playing in the bowl game, Maye will finish his career with 8,018 passing yards (5th in school history) and 63 passing touchdowns (4th in school history) while completing 64.9% of his passes. He also finishes his career with 1,209 yards and 16 touchdowns on 112 carries. His 9,026 total yards are the most in college football over that span and shows just how dominant he was in his time in Chapel Hill.
With his departure, Conner Harrell will get a chance to make his first career start and set the tone for what could be a fierce quarterback battle this offseason. Texas A&M transfer Max Johnson will be the guy who will compete with him this offseason, but a strong showing in Charlotte could give him the early advantage in this battle.