North Carolina QB Drake Maye was 10th in the Heisman running in 2022. Does he have a shot at taking home the award in 2023? Here’s a look at Maye’s Heisman odds and his outlook for the rest of the race.
Can Drake Maye Win the Heisman in 2023?
He’s not a close contender at the moment, but Maye is assuredly in the Heisman discussion at the very least. Right now, he’s listed sixth on DraftKings‘ board, with +2000 odds to win the award.
Maye is behind Jordan Travis (+1800), Dillon Gabriel (+1400), Bo Nix (+600), Caleb Williams (+230), and the current front-runner, Michael Penix Jr. (+210).
Maye’s Case for the 2023 Heisman Trophy
Maye’s odds improved drastically after a standout Week 6 performance against Syracuse, in which Maye completed 33 of 47 pass attempts for 442 yards and three touchdowns. He ran for 55 yards and an additional score, too.
To date in 2023, Maye has completed 129 of 179 attempts (72.1%) for 1,629 yards, eight touchdowns, and four interceptions. On the ground, he’s run for 174 yards and four scores.
As a passer, Maye’s TD volume is markedly down from 2022, but he’s trending up after the Syracuse game. Production is one part of the equation, but Maye can also strengthen his case by leading North Carolina to an ACC Championship berth, a conference title, and a College Football Playoff appearance.
North Carolina is still in the running for the conference title. But it’ll be up to Maye to help them stay undefeated through a tough season-closing stretch that includes Miami, Georgia Tech, Duke, Clemson, and NC State.
The Tar Heels will have to beat out one of Louisville or Florida State to make the title game, and going undefeated is the best way to do that without any head-to-head matchups.
Maye is the team’s most important player, and if he wants to win the Heisman, he may have to be the driving force to victory in several close games.
Drake Maye’s Impact as a 2024 NFL Draft Prospect
Even when his TD:INT ratio was less appealing earlier in the year, it was clear that Maye was the team’s best player and a true franchise QB candidate in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye is occasionally prone to lapses in decision-making, and he doesn’t quite have the electric creation ability that Williams has. But Maye is just as competent of an off-platform and out-of-structure thrower, who can also dice up defenses from the pocket with his anticipation, arm talent, layering ability, and pocket management skills.
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Right now, if the top Heisman contenders — Williams and Penix — keep their current pace, and keep winning, Maye will need a lot to go right to close the gap. Even if he doesn’t win the Heisman, Maye can win another very prestigious title: The first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
Maye is a more complete fit than Williams for the prototypical QB mold that NFL teams often prefer, and he’s a high-caliber athlete with elite arm talent and elasticity on top of that. With the way he’s been playing from the pocket lately, the gap between him and Williams for QB1 is closing.
