The Drake Maye Scouting Report
One of the most frequent conversations that football fans, NFL or college, love to have revolves around this question: Who's the best quarterback in the sport? At the college ranks, two names come to mind for most: Southern Cal's Caleb Williams and North Carolina's Drake Maye.
Shane Beamer and South Carolina's Football team will take on the latter quarterback in Drake Maye in the Duke's Mayo Classic on Saturday night. We all know about the stats from last season and the hype surrounding the Tar Heel legacy heading into this Fall, but what does he do well, and subsequently, where does he struggle?
I watched North Carolina's games against Duke and NC State from last Fall to better understand what Maye's skillset entails.
What He Does Well
When Drake Maye is pressured from the edge on either side of the pocket, he does an excellent job of stepping up and delivering a timely throw, trusting the interior of the offensive line to hold and his receiver to be where he's throwing the football. Maye also makes quick decisions when he has less time, always knowing where his check-down options are located, and can throw the football well in the short areas of the field when on the move. He has the accuracy and touch to make almost any type of throw.
Where He Might Struggle
While Drake Maye is a good athlete who can make defenses pay for not keeping him contained, he's not the quickest in terms of his lateral movement when he has to roll out of the pocket due to pressure. In the small sample size I watched, Maye can also be a bit lackadaisical regarding how closely he has the football tucked up against his body, which could open the door for oncoming defenders to potentially cause a fumble or two on Saturday if that hasn't been corrected. Short route concepts are a staple of Air Raid offenses, and at times, if Drake Maye throws a short pass in quick succession right after taking a snap, he can be a bit wild with his accuracy.
Final Synopsis
There's one part of a quarterback's game that every coach wants them to have: accuracy and Drake Maye certainly has that at all three levels. At the same time, this Gamecock defense can definitely slow him down. They'll have to do a few specific things fundamentally-speaking in order to leave Charlotte with a win.
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- North Carolina At First Glance
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