UNC’s Drake Maye to Opt-Out of Bowl vs. West Virginia
Neal Brown and West Virginia are looking to cap off their resurgent 2023 season with one final win in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl against North Carolina on December 27.
A victory would get the Mountaineers to 9-4, which would be their best finish of Brown’s tenure and their most wins in a single season since 2016. It would also be just the second time that West Virginia has hit the nine-win mark since joining the Big 12 in 2012.
The odds of that happening got even better on Tuesday, as there was big news out of Chapel Hill, North Carolina: Tar Heels’ starting quarterback Drake Maye will opt out of the Duke’s Mayo Bowl to begin preparation for the NFL Draft.
The report, from Action Network’s Brett McMurphy, confirms what many already believed to be the case, as Maye is in contention to be a top-three pick in the 2024 NFL draft. Over the last two seasons (and 10 pass attempts in 2021), Maye has completed 64.9% of his passes for 8,018 yards and 63 touchdowns to just 16 interceptions, adding 1,209 yards and 16 scores on the ground.
Add that he’s 6-foot-3, 230 pounds, and just 21 years old, and you’ve got a bonafide contender to be a franchise quarterback at the NFL level.
With Maye out, UNC will have to trot out Connor Harrell or Jefferson Boaz at quarterback against West Virginia, which isn’t exactly ideal. Harrell has a whopping six pass attempts on the year, while Boaz has only one. Caleb Hood, a running back on the UNC roster, has the only other passing attempt on the season.
Maye’s decision to skip the bowl game moves the line, which opened at West Virginia (-3.5), to West Virginia (-5.5). The Duke’s Mayo Bowl is scheduled to kick off in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Wednesday, December 27, at 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPN and ESPN+.
