Drake Thomas kept the streak alive.
The former NC State linebacker and current Seahawks starter helped Seattle knock off the Patriots 13-10 last night in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, and once again it was Thomas coming out on top against former UNC quarterback Drake Maye. That puts Thomas at 4-0 all-time against Maye, stretching back to their ACC days.
Thomas did plenty of work in the win. He finished with 9 tackles, 1 sack, 1 tackle for loss and 1 QB hit. He started at inside linebacker and posted an overall PFF grade of 68.8, with his 79.0 run defense grade ranking second on Seattle’s defense.
It was the second NFL meeting between the two, and both have come in big spots. Back on February 8 of this year, Thomas logged 6 tackles in Seattle’s 29-13 Super Bowl LX win over New England. That made it two victories over Maye in about seven months, with one of them ending in a Lombardi Trophy for Thomas.
But this didn’t start in the NFL. Thomas was a key piece in NC State’s 30-27 double-overtime win over Maye’s No.
18 Tar Heels in their final college rivalry game in 2022. He had 10 tackles, 2 tackles for loss and 1 sack in that one.
A year earlier, Thomas piled up 9 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss in NC State’s 34-30 win over UNC at Carter-Finley Stadium. Maye didn’t play, but he had a UNC jersey on, so it counts as his first collegiate loss to Thomas.
Drake Thomas now owns the better side of the scoreboard in this matchup: 4 for Thomas, 0 for Maye. Two wins with NC State.
Two wins with Seattle. One of them for a Super Bowl.
And the rise has been real. Thomas won the starting job in Week 4 last season and never gave it back.
In 2025, he finished his third NFL season with 96 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 8 passes defended and 6 QB hits. He ranked second on the Seahawks in both tackles and tackles for loss.
Seattle rewarded him this offseason with a two-year, $8 million contract. Not bad for an undrafted player in 2023.
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NC State Needs A Businesslike Response Against A Dangerous Richmond Defense
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The offense has not been nearly as dynamic, and it is trying to find consistency around first-year starter Ashten Snelsire. Richmond is also working through injuries at key spots on defense, adding another layer of uncertainty to a team that has already shown it can survive and compete even while shorthanded, which is exactly why NC State has to treat this like a business trip and not a formality. [Read more 🡒]