The North Carolina Tar Heels football team, along with Heisman hopeful Drake Maye, is set to engage in one of the premier matchups of Week 1 in the college football season. They are poised to face their cross-state rivals, the South Carolina Gamecocks, at Charlotte, NC's Bank of America Stadium in a primetime ABC game. While the intrigue of the two Carolina teams facing off adds undeniable appeal, it's widely recognized within the college football community that the spotlight is firmly on the Tar Heels' quarterback, who is anticipated to make a significant impact this year before likely transitioning to the NFL. However, the question remains: Just how substantial could Maye's upcoming season be? Let's delve into some bold predictions.

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4. Drake Maye Secures ACC Offensive Player of the Year Again

Maye clinched last year's ACC Offensive Player of the Year title, having thrown for an impressive 3,847 yards and 35 touchdowns, complemented by 629 rushing yards and six additional touchdowns in the regular season. Remarkably, he became only the ninth FBS quarterback since 2010 to achieve a blend of 3,500 passing yards, 35 passing touchdowns, 500 rushing yards, and five rushing touchdowns in a single season. Within the ACC conference, Maye stood as the sole player in the last 25 years to accumulate 300 passing yards and 50 rushing yards across four consecutive games, according to TheACC.com. Last year, he was deservedly named the ACC Quarterback of the Week on six occasions.

Last season marked Maye's inaugural full season, during which he accomplished these feats. The question that lingers is: What remarkable feats could he achieve this season in the ACC?

3. Drake Maye Propels North Carolina Football to a 10-0, 9-1 Record Before Facing Clemson

As highlighted in my previous piece about the North Carolina football team's bold predictions, there's a strong possibility that the Tar Heels could secure a 10-0 or 9-1 record just before their clash with Clemson on November 18, their second-to-last game of the season. The previous year saw North Carolina's most successful season under Mack Brown, with nine victories—an unusual feat for a school renowned for its basketball legacy. A significant portion of this success can be attributed to Maye's exceptional performance. Some pundits argue that the team could have secured even more victories if not for their defense, which occasionally conceded numerous points. In essence, the defense's lapses potentially inflated Maye's statistics, given the need for the Tar Heels' offense to consistently score in response to defensive shortcomings.

While the Tar Heels do face a challenging stretch this season, the prospect of an improved defense—no matter how marginal—could propel Maye to lead the team to at least one more victory than their previous year's record.

2. Drake Maye Guides the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship Game

From my perspective, the ACC boasts three top-tier teams: Clemson, Florida State, and North Carolina. While many might dismiss North Carolina due to defensive concerns, Maye's significant impact on the team cannot be overstated. Clemson, despite their undeniable talent, still harbors some uncertainty at quarterback. Meanwhile, Florida State, known for their effective utilization of the transfer portal, faces their own question marks. The crucial question is whether they can surpass their 10-win season from the previous year and live up to this years hype.

Undoubtedly, either Clemson or Florida State will secure a spot in the ACC title game. However, I firmly believe that North Carolina will emerge as the other contender. And who knows, Maye might even propel them to victory.

1. Drake Maye Clinches the Heisman Trophy

It's undeniable that last year's Heisman winner, USC's Caleb Williams, boasts remarkable talent. Given his current skill level, one might argue that he should already be in the NFL. Williams is set to pose formidable competition for Maye in this season's pursuit of the prestigious college football individual accolade. However, it's important to note that since 1975, only Ohio State's Archie Griffin has secured the Heisman Trophy twice—a record that remains unbroken. It's uncertain whether this is due to the immense challenge of reaching such a pinnacle of success or whether an unspoken rule has arisen against awarding the trophy twice. Regardless, for Williams to secure two Heisman trophies would be an unprecedented feat. Achieving this would undoubtedly require leading the Trojans to the College Football Playoff, coupled with impressive statistics akin to his achievements last year.

Maye unquestionably needs to deliver an exceptional performance once again this season, exceeding even the heights of the previous year. Some might argue that he needs to lead the North Carolina football team to the ACC Championship game at the very least. Despite the challenges, I remain steadfast in my belief that this year's Heisman Trophy belongs to Maye.