UNC Football

If the ACC ultimately disbands or loses some of its major programs in the wake of both Clemson and Florida State suing the conference in what appears to be an effort to leave, North Carolina reportedly will be a major target for the SEC and Big Ten.

According to Ross Dellenger of Yahoo Sports, "many within the industry believe [UNC] is the most attractive expansion target for the Power Two."

"North Carolina," an industry source told him, "is the lynchpin."

So why North Carolina over programs like Florida State and Clemson or even Miami, which have been far more successful in football throughout the years?

For one, Dellenger notes that the SEC already has roots in both the Florida (Gators) and South Carolina (Gamecocks) markets. It does not have a program in North Carolina, however. And it's not as though the Big Ten or SEC are hurting for football powerhouses.

Plus, the Big Ten and SEC schools would likely want more television money from Fox and ESPN, respectively, to offset the dilution of their television revenue by adding more teams. If more hands are in the honey pot, it makes sense to shop for a bigger container.

But North Carolina is one of the biggest brands in college sports, period, thanks in large part to the incredibly successful and popular men's basketball team. Academically it's also an attractive option and boasts strong programs in Olympic sports.

It also isn't the first time that North Carolina has been mentioned in the same breath as the SEC and Big Ten. In June, ESPN's Pete Thamel said that both North Carolina and Virginia would be "coveted" by both conferences, though Notre Dame was seen as the top prize in any potential future realignment (h/t Griffin McVeigh of On3).

"North Carolina and Virginia mark a geographic, population and recruiting battleground for the SEC and Big Ten," he added. "They are desirable media markets and could help with student recruiting, as they are the No. 9 (North Carolina) and No. 12 (Virginia) most populous states in the country. Both North Carolina and Virginia are in contiguous states for both leagues."

It's all a moot point, of course, if the disgruntled ACC schools are unable to escape the conference's prohibitive grant of rights, which binds their media rights to the ACC and ESPN until 2036, lest they pay an exorbitant exit fee.

Giddy up. That’s now 2 of the ACC’s Magnificent 7 likely to leave league https://t.co/3UXVBL04Iq

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) March 19, 2024

But if the ACC disbands or the courts cut down on those expensive exit fees, expect the Tar Heels to be the SEC and Big Ten's first call.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye didn't work out at last week's NFL combine, but the projected top-10 pick still managed to win over some scouts through his off-the-field work, per NFL.com's Lance Zierlein.

"While Maye didn't work out at the combine, the feedback from team sources was 100% positive regarding his interviews and work on the whiteboard," Zierlein wrote.

Last season, Maye threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions for the Tar Heels. That performance came after a 2022 season where he had 4,321 passing yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Zierlein's mock draft projects Maye landing with the New England Patriots, who have the third pick in this year's draft. The Patriots are expected to move on from current quarterback Mac Jones, meaning Maye could land in New England and get starting reps immediately.

Maye is the No. 3 overall prospect and the top quarterback prospect according to Bleacher Report's Scouting Department, edging out USC's Caleb Williams and LSU's Jayden Daniels, who are the first and second players off the board in Zierlein's mock draft.

Along with the Patriots, several other teams with a top-10 pick could be looking to take a quarterback with their first selection. The Chicago Bears, who have the first pick, are expected to take Williams and the Washington Commanders, who have the second pick, are likely eyeing a quarterback.

Other possible candidates could be the New York Giants or the Las Vegas Raiders, who have both reportedly explored trading up to select a quarterback. The Giants have the sixth pick while the Raiders have the 13th, so both teams would likely have to offer an enticing deal to find themselves in a position to draft a player of Maye's caliber.

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye "should remain the favorite as the second pick" to the Washington Commanders based on opinions around the NFL, according to The Athletic's Jeff Howe.

Howe reported the Commanders are "high" on him.

Maye is widely considered the second-best quarterback in the 2024 draft class, and he narrowly edges out USC's Caleb Williams for the top spot at the position in Bleacher Report's big board.

B/R's most recent mock draft projected a trade up to the No. 1 overall pick for Washington, with Williams getting the nod.

Dianna Russini of The Athletic reported the Chicago Bears "spent most of the week gauging interest around the league" in quarterback Justin Fields. Moving to the top of the first round might be tough if the Bears are increasingly coming around to the idea of dealing Fields and in turn finding a new starting QB.

The Commanders don't need to be overly aggressive to ensure they land a highly touted signal-caller. Assuming Williams goes to Chicago, Maye would be a viable alternative.

As a junior, he threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 63.3 percent of his throws. He also displayed some mobility with the Tar Heels, running for 1,147 yards and 16 scores in his two years as a starter.

"Overall, Maye is a supremely talented passer," B/R NFL scout Derrik Klassen wrote his evaluation. "He has the athleticism, arm talent and baseline processing skills to become a weapon at the next level. All he needs to do is cut out some of the 'doing too much' plays. Maye has the skill set to fit in any system and develop into a star."

Klassen compared Maye to Los Angeles Chargers star Justin Herbert, with Howe reporting others have drawn the same parallel.

"He can throw the s--t out of the ball," one NFL team executive said of Maye.

The 6'4" quarterback might thrive in a Kliff Kingsbury-led offense.

Former longtime WWE star and executive Shane McMahon announced Saturday that his son, Kenyon McMahon, has committed to play college football at the University of North Carolina.

Shane-O-Mac made the announcement in an Instagram post that featured a photo of himself alongside Kenyon in a UNC uniform, along with the caption: "So proud to be Kenyon's dad. Hard work pays off."

Kenyon McMahon is a 6'1", 170-pound safety and wide receiver at Poly Prep Country Day School in Brooklyn, New York, and according to Zack Pearson of USA Today's Tar Heels Wire, he committed to North Carolina as a defensive back in the class of 2024.

Kenyon will be the second of Shane McMahon's sons to play major college football, as Declan McMahon committed to play at Indiana University in 2022.

As a running back, Declan did not accrue any stats during his freshman season for the Hoosiers in 2023.

In addition to being Shane's son, Kenyon McMahon is the grandson of longtime former WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon, as well as the nephew of former WWE star and chief brand officer Stephanie McMahon, and legendary WWE Superstar and current WWE head of creative Triple H.

Shane had many behind-the-scenes roles with WWE over the years, but he is perhaps best known for being an on-screen character and in-ring performer from 1998 to 2009 and again from 2016 to 2019.

The former European champion, hardcore champion and SmackDown tag team champion has made periodic appearances for WWE since 2019 as well.

Most recently, Shane faced The Miz in an impromptu match at WrestleMania 39 last year, but he suffered a torn quad, which resulted in rap megastar and WWE Hall of Famer Snoop Dogg stepping in to beat The Miz instead.

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Ahead of the 2024 NFL Draft, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye is drawing high comparisons from an NFL quarterbacks coach.

According to ESPN's Matt Miller, Maye has been compared to some of the league's top quarterbacks.

"Maye received rave reviews in a recent conversation with an NFC quarterbacks coach who has studied his film: 'He's Josh Allen, Justin Herbert ... and I think his arm is comparable to C.J. Stroud,' Miller wrote. "Those comparisons are high praise and would be tough for new general manager Adam Peters to ignore. Maye's arm talent and mobility at 6-foot-4 and 230 pounds perfectly fit the modern quarterback profile."

Maye, who spent three seasons with the Tar Heels, is the No. 3 overall player on Bleacher Report's NFL Draft Big Board with a grade of 9.3. He is the top overall quarterback, just ahead of USC's Caleb Williams, who scored 9.1.

Last season, Maye threw for 3,608 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. In his sophomore season, he had 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions.

Maye has all the makings of an NFL quarterback. According to Bleacher Report's Scouting Report, the 21-year-old is "quick for his size," giving him the ability to attack defenses on the ground if needed. His scouting report also notes his ability to throw under pressure, which would be huge for a team with a high draft pick that is lacking on the offensive line.

The scouting report lists one of his negatives being the tendency to run into sacks or throw interceptions while making a play, but with plenty of time to develop, those downsides could be eliminated quickly.

Many insiders expect Williams to be the first player of the board, but it won't be a surprise to see Maye picked very early on in this year's draft.

HEIGHT: 6'2"

WEIGHT: 234

HAND: 9"

ARM: 32½"

WINGSPAN: 78⅜"

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40-YARD DASH: 4.64

3-CONE:

SHUTTLE:

VERTICAL: 35.5"

BROAD: 10'0"

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POSITIVES

— Good size and frame with a thick build and good movement skills overall.

— Against the run, he takes on blocks with low pad level and has impressive upper body strength to get extension against offensive linemen. Also, is solid at holding his ground as a run defender.

— Impressive speed to help his sideline-to-sideline range versus stretch runs.

— In zone coverage, he can read the quarterback's eyes to anticipate throws and has the movement skills to tighten throwing windows.

— Quick to close after the catch and is a decent open-field tackler who wraps up and understands how to use his body weight and leverage to bring ball carriers down.

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NEGATIVES

— Instincts as a run defender are shaky, he'll often leave his gap early against zone runs and doesn't put himself in a good position to take on blocks.

— Has a habit of leaving his feet when tackling, leading to misses.

— In man coverage, he gets caught flat-footed against sharp-breaking routes and panics/freezes against option routes.

— Struggles to recognize passing concepts as he'll often run into picks when playing man against wheel routes and gets caught vacating his area by following short drag routes in zone coverage versus mesh concepts.

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2023 STATISTICS

— 12 G, 121 TOT, 11.0 TFL, 5 SK, 1 INT, 4 PD, 2 FF, 2 FR

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NOTES

— Born Oct. 30, 2002

— 3-star recruit in the 2020 class, per 247Sports

— No major injuries

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OVERALL

Cedric Gray has been a highly productive linebacker with 365 total tackles during his last three seasons at North Carolina. Part of that is because he's a hustle player who plays snap to whistle and will make touchdown-saving tackles down the field, but he also has plenty of strengths against the run and in coverage.

As a run defender, Gray takes on blocks with his hands and good leverage which, combined with his upper-body strength, can help him get extension and shed blocks. As a change of pace, he's also shown a solid shoulder-dip move to slip blocks from offensive linemen climbing to the second level.

The Tar Heel made tremendous strides in zone coverage this past season. His eye discipline to locate threats coming into his area was much better, and he showed growth in reading the quarterback's eyes. Combining that with impressive movement skills to tighten throwing windows and good ball production makes him an asset on passing downs.

However, Gray's instincts are an issue both in the run game and in coverage. He can get caught in the trash as a run defender, and he struggles to recognize route concepts, especially when playing man. That can improve over time with more experience, but it will hold him back from being a starter at the beginning of his career.

Schematically, Gray would be best in a zone-heavy system, and he can line up as an inside 'backer in odd or even fronts.

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GRADE: 6.6 (Potential Role Player/Contributor — 4th Round)

OVERALL RANK: 114

POSITION RANK: LB6

PRO COMPARISON: Jordan Hicks

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Written by B/R NFL Scout Matt Holder

Visit B/R's NFL Scouting Department hub for scouting reports on all of the top prospects.

Without Drake Maye under center, the North Carolina offense largely disappointed on Wednesday night in a 30-10 loss to the West Virginia Mountaineers in the Mayo Bowl.

Conner Harrell started at quarterback for the Tar Heels, and he finished the game having completed 17 of 21 passes for 192 yards and one touchdown against two interceptions in the loss. He also rushed for 52 yards.

Running back Omarion Hampton was limited to 20 carries for 74 yards and wide receiver Gavin Blackwell led the Tar Heels with three catches for 78 yards. Wide receiver JJ Jones caught Harrell's lone touchdown pass.

Wednesday's loss provided a look into what the future could hold without Maye under center, and the team was trolled for its struggles by fans on X, formerly known as Twitter, with some even calling for Mack Brown to be fired:

UNC’s season after being ranked #10 https://t.co/YV5vuvDv9i pic.twitter.com/7wkIl1gyzL

— Ryan Williams (@RWilliams_IPS) December 28, 2023

Unc had every opportunity to win that game but just couldn’t execute. OC did Harrell no favors although buddy is definitely not accurate

— Jordan Alexander (@jordanrulesTSP) December 28, 2023

I think a discussion needs to be had about Mack 2.0 at UNC.

— the other ryne (@TheRHancock19) December 28, 2023

A culture of complacency allowed UNC to get to this point in the season. Mack Brown is a legend, and rightfully so, but we’ve reached that stage in which it’s time to think about what the future really holds for Carolina. The culture needs to change. https://t.co/nZCYVeO0MA

— Luc Stadler (@LucStadler) December 28, 2023

https://twitter.com/laineyhaigler/status/1740188842748252636

https://twitter.com/AmariJelani/status/1740188407882743906

Is there a football program that does less with more then UNC?

— BPaiz (@bpaiz) December 28, 2023

UNC looked just bad. Like awful. They better hope for a Transfer Portal QB.

— WolfpackCasey (@WolfpackCasey) December 28, 2023

UNC when they're not playing Miami pic.twitter.com/DpqplkvY9I

— Mike (@MikeSanchize) December 28, 2023

Maye didn't suit up for the Mayo Bowl as he's one of the top quarterbacks available in the 2024 NFL draft. It's common for top draft prospects to not play non-College Football Playoff bowl games in order to avoid injury.

Following Wednesday's loss, the Tar Heels are left with more questions than answers, which isn't a good sign entering the 2024 campaign.

North Carolina head coach Mack Brown wasn't happy with NC State head coach Dave Doeren's postgame celebration after defeating the Tar Heels last month, and he didn't hold back his feelings on Wednesday.

After the Wolfpack closed out the season with a 39-20 win over their rivals, Doeren addressed his team in the locker room, "It's been 1,460 days since those pieces of s--t beat us." However, his comments were caught on camera by the ACC Network, and Brown understandably was not pleased with his players being described that way.

"I've never heard something like that before," Brown said during his national signing day news conference, per ESPN's Andrea Adelson. "I'm disappointed. I thought it was classless. It's not true. We didn't play well in the game. We didn't coach well in the game. It's been very well documented, and I got that, but you don't call kids a piece of s--t, and I've addressed it with our team. I apologized to them."

Brown continued: "These kids are one of the top academic groups in America. They got an award for AFCA's top 13. They've won a Coastal division. They've won a bunch of games. They've been to an Orange Bowl, been to five straight bowls. They represent us. And from me speaking for them and their parents, they really didn't appreciate being called a piece of s--t."

Doeren said he wasn't aware that the cameras were in the locker room at the time of his postgame speech, and he called Brown on Wednesday to apologize.

"Obviously, if I knew I was on camera, my language would not have been what it was," Doeren said. "Does make it any better? No. I did call coach and apologize because I could have used a lot of different words. They caught me in a heat-of-the-moment situation in the locker room celebrating a huge win, and I was fired up about how we played. I have respect for coach, so the last thing I wanted for him to feel that, and again, it's not an excuse, but it shouldn't have been on TV."

Brown will be leading UNC against West Virginia in the Duke's Mayo Bowl on Dec. 27, while Doeren and NC State will take on Kansas in the Pop-Tarts Bowl the following day.

UNC quarterback and potential No. 1 overall NFL draft pick Drake Maye has announced that he will be going pro:

pic.twitter.com/uapK1Cc5vC

— Drake Maye (@DrakeMaye2) December 11, 2023

ESPN's Pete Thamel initially reported the news:

NEWS: North Carolina redshirt sophomore quarterback Drake Maye tells ESPN that he’s forgoing the remainder of his eligibility at UNC to declare for the NFL Draft. He’s a strong contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. pic.twitter.com/trECksvgql

— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) December 11, 2023

The 6'4", 230-pound Maye is a redshirt sophomore out of Charlotte, North Carolina.

He became a collegiate superstar during his first year as UNC's starter in 2022, amassing 45 total touchdowns (38 passing, seven rushing) and completing 66.2 percent of his passes for 4,321 yards (8.4 YPA). He also rushed for 698 yards.

Maye followed that campaign up with 33 total touchdowns (24 passing, nine rushing) and a 63.3 percent completion rate for 3,608 passing yards this year. He also rushed for 449 yards.

The latest NFL draft big board (Nov. 29) from the B/R NFL Scouting Department places Maye at No. 3 overall in the class of 2024 and first among quarterbacks. He's received a grade of 9.3 out of 10, behind only Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (9.7) and Georgia tight end Brock Bowers (9.3). The scouting department called Maye the most pro-ready and most accurate passer in the draft class.

B/R's Derrik Klassen provided this note on Maye in his scouting report.

"Overall, Maye is a supremely talented passer. He has the athleticism, arm talent and baseline processing skills to become a weapon at the next level. All he needs to do is cut out some of the 'doing too much' plays. Maye has the skill set to fit in any system and develop into a star."

Maye looks like a potential superstar based on his two seasons at school. He'll undoubtedly be selected at or near the top of the upcoming NFL draft. The question at this point is whether he'll be No. 1 overall as the debate among analysts between him and USC's Caleb Williams figures to dominate pre-draft talk all winter and spring.

Quarterback Max Johnson is transferring for a second time, announcing his decision to leave Texas A&M for North Carolina on Wednesday.

Excited to be a Tar Heel! Let’s Go! @Hayesfawcett3 #TarHeels pic.twitter.com/Ps6s6L0rWE

— Max Johnson (@MaxJohnson14) November 29, 2023

Johnson spent the last two seasons at Texas A&M after transferring from LSU, where he played his first two college campaigns.

The son of former NFL quarterback Brad Johnson, Max Johnson had a strong sophomore season at LSU, throwing for 2,815 yards and 27 touchdowns against seven interceptions before deciding to leave for Texas A&M. He never won the full-time starting job in College Station but did appear in eight games in 2023 after Conner Weigman went down with an injury.

Johnson threw for 1,452 yards and nine touchdowns against five interceptions this season.

North Carolina will be looking for a replacement for Drake Maye, who is a lock to declare himself eligible for the 2024 NFL draft. Maye will be the first or second quarterback off the board in April, leaving the Tar Heels with a seismic hole to fill under center.

Johnson, who is transferring as a graduate, could get the first crack at filling Maye's shoes. At the very least, he would not be transferring to North Carolina without a guarantee that he will be given a chance to compete for the job in camp.