UNC QB Drake Maye a Heisman Trophy finalist? It could happen despite ACC championship loss to Clemson
CHARLOTTE – UNC quarterback Drake Maye might be a finalist at next weekend's Heisman Trophy ceremony despite an underwhelming performance against Clemson during Saturday's ACC championship game.
Maye completed 26 of 42 for 268 yards and a first-quarter rushing touchdown but threw a pivotal pick midway through the third quarter – returned 98 yards by Clemson's Nate Wiggins – that put the Tigers ahead 32-10 before a 39-10 final score at Bank of America Stadium.
I know what you're thinking: "How the hell can you say that after tonight's performance?"
It's a fair question. But if he's invited to New York, it'll be based on a body of work that rivals the other notable candidates around the country.
Maye swept the major league honors, taking home ACC player of the year, freshman of the year and offensive player of the year. The last player to do that won a Heisman. His name was Jameis Winston.
Maye set the UNC single-season record for passing yards and the ACC freshman record for passing yards.
With 35 touchdown passes this season, Maye fell just short of the single-season touchdown record (38) set by his predecessor Sam Howell in 2019.
Maye was top 10 nationwide in yards, touchdowns, interceptions and QBR.
His over 650 rushing yards rank him in the top 8 of FBS quarterbacks with seven rushing touchdowns to his name.
Yes, the Tar Heels ended the season on a three-game slide, but Maye still led UNC to its first ACC title game since 2015 and a first under Hall of Fame coach Mack Brown.
So, why not Maye?
He entered the Heisman discussion as a legitimate contender after throwing for 448 yards and three touchdowns in a Nov. 12 win over Wake Forest. Back-to-back below-par performances in losses to Georgia Tech and NC State didn't help, and the door might've been shut for good with his play against Clemson.
Conference championship weekend, however, hasn't exactly provided a Heisman front-runner or even rounded out the field.
USC quarterback Caleb Williams was the odds-on favorite to win the award before the Trojan's 47-24 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship. TCU quarterback Max Duggan played inspired football in the Big 12 title game, but the Horned Frogs also suffered a loss. Washington’s Michael Pennix will likely be a finalist despite not playing in a conference championship game, and that's based more on his season stats, not team success.
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If these are the three locks, that leaves an available spot with no clear invitation. Four finalists will be announced on Dec. 5, all of whom will be invited to the Heisman ceremony in New York on Dec. 10.
Ohio State’s QB CJ Stroud has certainly fallen off the last two weeks, including a 45-23 loss to Michigan that kept the Buckeyes out of the Big Ten title game. Maye's stats are better in almost every significant category. Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker and Alabama’s Bryce Young have been lost to injuries. Oregon’s Bo Nix? Underwhelming.
And maybe it's time to recognize the talent in North Carolina.
No player from a North Carolina university has ever won the Heisman Trophy, nor has one been a finalist since they started attending the ceremony in 1982. The highest a North Carolina college player has finished in the Heisman balloting was Tar Heel great Charlie "Choo-Choo'' Justice, who was the runner-up in both the 1948 and 1949 Heisman vote.
I ask again, why not Maye?
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC QB Drake Maye a Heisman Trophy finalist? Crazier things have happened
