Drake Maye

His father, Mark Maye, played quarterback for North Carolina in the 1980s before spending time in the NFL. His mother, Aimee, also attended UNC. Maye grew up in Huntersville, North Carolina, as the youngest of four brothers. His brother Luke hit a buzzer-beater for North Carolina in the 2017 NCAA tournament on the way to a national championship, while his brother Cole won the 2017 College World Series pitching for the Florida Gators. His brother Beau played basketball for North Carolina as well.

On June 22, 2025, Maye married Ann Michael Hudson. The two began dating in 2015 and got engaged in January 2025. Hudson's younger brother, Tad Hudson, was one of Maye's backup quarterbacks at North Carolina in 2023. Together, Maye and his wife established the MayeDay Family Foundation, launching the charity with a celebrity softball classic at Polar Park to support pediatric healthcare causes. Maye is a Christian and speaks frequently about using his platform to share his faith.

Maye played football and basketball at Myers Park High School in Charlotte, earning recognition as the area's top male athlete after throwing 50 touchdowns as a junior. He committed to Alabama in 2019. He flipped his commitment to North Carolina in March 2020. After redshirting behind starter Sam Howell in 2021, Maye won the starting job ahead of the 2022 season.

Maye opened the 2022 campaign with five touchdown passes against Florida A&M, becoming the first UNC quarterback to throw five scores in his starting debut. He led the Tar Heels to the ACC Championship Game, totaling 4,321 passing yards, 38 passing touchdowns, and 698 rushing yards. He won ACC Player of the Year, ACC Rookie of the Year, and the Shaun Alexander Award.

Under offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey in 2023, Maye threw for 3,608 yards and 24 touchdowns while adding nine rushing scores. He earned second-team All-ACC honors before declaring for the NFL draft. He finished his college career fifth in passing yards and fourth in passing touchdowns in Tar Heel history.

The New England Patriots drafted Maye third overall in 2024, making him the franchise's highest-drafted quarterback since Drew Bledsoe in 1993. Maye opened his rookie season as the backup behind veteran Jacoby Brissett. He took over the starting role in Week 6 against the Houston Texans. In that start, Maye threw three touchdown passes and led the team in rushing yards.

Maye became the first quarterback since 1973 to direct his first 10 career passing touchdowns to 10 different receivers. He finished the season with 2,276 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, and 421 rushing yards. He was selected to the 2025 Pro Bowl Games as an alternate.

In 2025, Maye played under new head coach Mike Vrabel and returning offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. In Week 7 against the Tennessee Titans, he set a Patriots single-game record by completing 91.3 percent of his passes. In Week 17 against the New York Jets, he threw five touchdowns with a 90.4 percent completion rate. That performance set an NFL record for passing efficiency in a five-touchdown game.

Maye concluded the regular season with 4,394 passing yards, 31 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He led the NFL in both completion percentage (72.0%) and passer rating (113.5). He won the Bert Bell Award, earned FedEx Air Player of the Year and second-team All-Pro honors, and finished second in NFL MVP voting behind Matthew Stafford by five points.

In the postseason, Maye led New England past the Los Angeles Chargers, Houston Texans, and Denver Broncos to capture the AFC championship. He became the third quarterback in league history to reach a Super Bowl before turning 24. New England lost 29-13 to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX, though Maye set a Super Bowl single-quarter record by throwing for 235 yards in the fourth quarter.