Drake Maye’s Meteoric Rise: From Chapel Hill to the Super Bowl Spotlight
When Super Bowl LX kicks off, history will already have been made - and not just because of the teams on the field. For the first time ever, a former North Carolina Tar Heel will be starting at quarterback in the NFL’s biggest game. Drake Maye, the New England Patriots’ breakout star, has gone from high school phenom to college standout to leading his team to the Super Bowl - all in the span of a few whirlwind years.
And while he came up just short in the MVP voting this past week, Maye has a chance to chase an even bigger trophy on Sunday - the Lombardi.
A Star from the Start
Maye’s story has always been one of high ceilings and higher expectations - and so far, he’s done nothing but meet them head-on. Back at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, Maye didn’t just light up the scoreboard - he rewrote the record books.
As a junior, he threw for 3,512 yards and 50 touchdowns with just two interceptions, completing over 72% of his passes. Add another 200 rushing yards and six touchdowns on the ground, and it was clear: this kid was different.
Originally committed to Alabama, Maye flipped to North Carolina after Mack Brown and his staff made a strong push - and perhaps more importantly, after Alabama brought in Bryce Young in the same class. The decision to stay home and play for the school where his father, Mark Maye, once starred at quarterback turned out to be a defining one.
Building a Legacy in Chapel Hill
Drake Maye didn’t just follow in his father’s footsteps - he carved out a legacy of his own. In three seasons with the Tar Heels, Maye threw for over 8,000 yards and 63 touchdowns, while also adding more than 1,200 rushing yards and 16 scores on the ground.
His redshirt freshman year in 2022 was the kind of season that puts a player on the national radar: 4,321 passing yards, 38 touchdowns, and 698 rushing yards. He even cracked the top 10 in Heisman voting that year.
Maye led UNC back to the ACC Championship Game for the first time in seven years, and while the team didn’t always hit the heights fans hoped for, there was no denying Maye’s impact on the program. After his sophomore season in 2023, he declared for the NFL Draft, opting out of the team’s bowl game and closing his college career with 30 games and 26 starts under his belt.
Draft Night and a New Chapter in New England
Heading into the 2024 NFL Draft, Maye was widely viewed as one of the top three quarterbacks in a stacked class. There was buzz about Chicago.
Whispers about New York. But when the dust settled, it was the New England Patriots - and newly empowered personnel chief Eliot Wolf - who made the call at No. 3 overall.
Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels may have gone ahead of him, but it’s Maye who’s playing on Super Bowl Sunday first.
Rookie Year: Growing Pains and Glimpses
Maye’s rookie campaign was a true NFL baptism. He played in 13 games, starting the final 12, and while the numbers weren’t gaudy - 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 10 interceptions - they showed flashes of what was coming. He added 421 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, showcasing the dual-threat ability that made him so dangerous in college.
It was an up-and-down year, as most rookie seasons are. But there was a sense that something was building.
Year Two: The Breakout
Then came the leap.
In his second season, Maye didn’t just improve - he exploded. He threw for 4,484 yards, 31 touchdowns, and only eight interceptions, while leading the league in completion percentage at a blistering 72.0%. He also ran for 450 yards and four scores, showing off that blend of poise in the pocket and playmaking on the move that’s become his signature.
He finished just one vote shy of winning the NFL MVP, edged out by Matthew Stafford. But Maye’s eye is on a different prize now - and he’s one win away.
Navigating the Playoff Gauntlet
Maye’s playoff run hasn’t been without turbulence. He’s taken 15 sacks and fumbled six times over three games, numbers that speak to the pressure and intensity of postseason football. But he’s also thrown for 533 yards and four touchdowns, and his legs have been a major asset - 141 rushing yards and a score on 24 attempts.
His most memorable moment so far? A perfectly executed naked bootleg in the AFC Championship against Denver - a gutsy, confident play that helped seal the Patriots’ trip to the Super Bowl.
Now, Maye heads into the most controlled environment he’s seen all postseason. The stakes?
Everything. The spotlight?
Blinding. But if Maye’s track record tells us anything, it’s that he’s ready for the moment.
From high school dominance to college stardom to the NFL’s biggest stage, Drake Maye’s journey has been one of steady ascension. And on Sunday, he’ll have a chance to add the ultimate chapter: Super Bowl champion.