Drake Maye injury update: Latest on North Carolina QB after Week 13

Quarterback Drake Maye's final regular season game for North Carolina did not go the way he would have expected. The projected 1st round quarterback pick of the 2024 NFL Draft not only suffered a disappointing 20-39 loss to NC State but also injured himself in the process.

According to North Carolina coach Mack Brown, Drake Maye has been dealing with a nagging ankle injury for a while now. And now, it seems that this injury got aggravated during their final ACC showdown against NC State.

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How bad is Drake Maye's injury?

The 21-year-old quarterback apparently injured his left ankle after receiving a hit in the fourth quarter. This led to him being sidelined for a while as he was seen walking up and down to assess his situation before returning for the final three minutes of the game.

Further updates on Maye's condition are yet to be provided by North Carolina. If the injury turns out to be a grievous one, then his availability for the bowl game and his position in the 2024 draft might come under question.

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What happened to Drake Maye?

During the fourth quarter of the game against NC State, Maye was tackled from behind by NC State linebacker Payton Wilson. This led to the quarterback falling to the ground while clutching his left ankle in pain.

Maye was then sidelined as backup quarterback Conner Harrell came on to take his place. By then, the Tar Heels were trailing 39-20 and a defeat seemed imminent. Drake Maye did return to the field to play the last three minutes of the game.

He went on to secure 254 passing yards for two TDs while also rushing for 106 yards and one rushing touchdown.

However, Maye's contribution was not enough to help North Carolina end the regular season on a winning note. The team will now be hoping for Maye to make a comeback and help them win the bowl game in the post-season before heading off to declare for the NFL draft.

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Drake Maye takes responsibility for the loss against NC State

In the post-game conference, Maye took responsibility for his team's loss to NC State. He went on to talk about improving his performance and making better decisions on the field as a signal caller.

"A lot of things weren't clicking and it all starts with me. I've got to do a better job. You can't start off bad and have a rough start like we did. It was a tough environment, on the road, in a big ACC rivalry game. You can't do that if you want to win games. We had some times we lined up wrong. I've got to do a better job making better decisions and checking out things. It starts with me", Maye said.

The Tar Heels finish their regular season with an 8-4 overall record(4-4 in the ACC).