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So here’s the thing, I know I’m biased. I don’t hide that I’m a fan of certain schools, programs, people or teams.

My biases often come equipped with rose-colored glasses that somehow remain effective despite decades of proving to shade everything rosy. I can’t take them off, but I recognized years ago that I was wearing them.

That’s why I waited until now to detail just how good I think UNC quarterback Drake Maye is. I first mentioned his name a little over a year ago when I discussed how impressive he looked in limited minutes as a freshman backup to Sam Howell (who should be starting as a rookie over Carson Wentz for the Washington Commanders).

I believe what I actually said was that he played like a guy who was once committed to Alabama. More accurately, he played like a guy Alabama recruited to play quarterback for them and he has continued to show why.

First and foremost, he passes the eye test, which is admittedly made easier with the aforementioned glasses but still, watch him and he’s undeniable. He’s 6-feet, 4-inches with good instincts and fast reflexes. That’s a great quarterback combination.

He’s got speed and hops which helps in pickup basketball games but might get him killed if he keeps jumping with the football. Despite his need to slide more, it’s evident that athleticism definitely runs in his family and he got the gift.

He’s got a swagger that comes from being great and knowing you’ve put in the work to belong. That’s coupled with a hunger that I assume comes from having a dad who played quarterback in the NFL and two older brothers who were national-championship-winning college athletes as well.

You can disregard my admittedly biased eye test and go look at the stats while watching him for yourself. The following are statistics according to Player Football Focus (PFF) prior to UNC’s win over Miami this past Saturday: The redshirt freshman quarterback, in his first five games as a starter, was tied for first for overall TDs with 19. His 1,594 passing yards ranked seventh in FBS while his 92.6 passing rating ranked third.

Against a higher-ranked Miami team that was expected to win at home this past Saturday, Maye was “humbled” into throwing two interceptions along with his two touchdowns and 309 passing yards. Maye was also the second leading rusher on the team but finished with 21 less rushing yards than Caleb Hood.

He’s doing all this behind an offensive line that has improved but continues to struggle and a running game that cannot be counted on. I’m not saying the guy is gonna win a Heisman this year, but I want to be early on the list of people using the name Drake Maye and Heisman in the same sentence for the years to come.

Carolina football is not yet good enough to deserve that kind of hype, but I believe Drake Maye may prove to be.

David Friedman is a long-time sports writer and lifelong Tar Heel fan. David can be reached via e-mail at fourthandlongcolumn@gmail.com.

David Friedman is a long time sports writer and lifelong Tar Heel fan. David can be reached via e-mail at fourthandlongcolumn@gmail.com

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