North Carolina football quarterback Drake Maye is leaving the program as he now shifts his focus on the 2024 NFL Draft.

Maye confirmed the decision to Pete Thamel of ESPN, noting that it's a decision he made with his family and coaches. He emphasized that it the best move for him in consideration of his future in the sport.

“Just sitting down with my family and the people I trust the most in life, including my coaches. This is the best decision for me and my future. It was my life-long dream to play quarterback at North Carolina, and I get a chance to check off another dream and play quarterback in the NFL,” Maye shared.

As a result, Maye also won't be suiting up for North Carolina football in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. He sent a farewell message to the team on social media on Monday after his decision to declare for the NFL Draft was confirmed.

“Thank you Coach [Mack] Brown, for the opportunity to live out my dream of playing quarterback in Carolina Blue. To the rest of the coaching staff and support staff, thank you for the countless hours of helping me along the way,” Maye wrote.

Drake Maye is one of the top quarterbacks coming to the 2024 NFL Draft alongside USC's Caleb Williams. The 21-year-old quarterback from North Carolina is in contention for the top overall pick and could very well be gone from the boards within the Top 2 picks.

It remains to be seen where Maye will end up with, though he's definitely a promising prospect. In 2022, he tallied 4321 passing yards and 38 touchdowns for the Tar Heels. His numbers dipped a bit in 2023, but there are still impressive. He recorded 3608 yards and 24 touchdowns as the team finished with an 8-4 overall record.