North Carolina QB Drake Maye entering NFL draft - ESPN

North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, one of the top NFL prospects in college football, tells ESPN that he's forgoing the remainder of his eligibility at UNC to declare for the NFL draft.

Maye, a redshirt sophomore, started all 26 games of his career during the last two seasons at UNC. He told ESPN he will not play in the Duke's Mayo Bowl against West Virginia. He'll leave school with a 17-9 record as a starter.

«Just sitting down with my family and the people I trust the most in life, including my coaches,» Maye said. «This is the best decision for me and my future. It was my life-long dream to play quarterback at North Carolina, and I get a chance to check off another dream and play quarterback in the NFL.»

Maye is a contender for the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL draft, and his decision to declare sets the stage for a potential months-long debate for that spot. USC quarterback Caleb Williams has not declared his intentions for 2024, but Williams has also made clear he's not playing in the postseason this year.

Over his North Carolina career, Maye threw for 8,018 yards, which is No. 5 all-time on UNC's passing list. His 63 touchdowns leave him No. 4 overall on UNC's all-time list.

Maye led UNC to the ACC championship game in 2022, as they started the season 9-1 and ascended to as high as No. 13 in the rankings. This season, UNC began the year 6-0 and climbed as high as No. 10.

Some of the sport's biggest powers expressed interest in Maye after the 2022 season, but he said he never wavered on his commitment to UNC and has no regrets.

«This is the place I always wanted to play quarterback,» Maye told ESPN. «Thinking back over my time in college, I couldn't imagine playing anywhere else. Last spring, when you