Draft Scout North Carolina Player News, College Football: North Carolina

2024 CFB/2025-2028 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page Draft Scout Top 12 NFL Prospect Teams for 2025 (Based on NFL Team Preseason Scouting Grades)

- #1 Oregon (17 players in Top 350 Overall) - #2 Michigan (14) - #3 Ohio State (14) - #4 Georgia (13) - #5 Texas (11) - #6 Notre Dame (11) - #7 Penn State (10) - #8 Iowa (10) - #9 Mississippi (9) - #10 Florida State (9) - #11 Virginia Tech (9) - #12 Miami (9) - 2024-2028 CFB 5* Star Recruits - 2024-2028 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - End of 2023 Season Risers - End of 2023 Season Fallers - CFB Player News & Notes - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Phil Steele/Draft Scout - Contact Draft Scout Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

2023 CFB/2024-2027 NFL Draft Scout

- Draft Scout Front Page - 2024 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2024 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2024 Pro Timing Day Fallers by Position - 2024 NFL Combine - Josh Buchanan's 2024 Top 100 Small School Prospects - End of Season Risers - End of Season Fallers - 2024 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2024 Senior Bowl - 2024 East-West Shrine - 2024 Hula Bowl - 2024 HBCU Legacy Bowl - 2023 CFB Bowl Games/Playoffs - CFB Player News & Notes 12/03 Final CFB Playoff Top 12
- #1 Michigan - #2 Washington - #3 Texas - #4 Alabama - #5 Florida State - #6 Georgia - #7 Ohio State - #8 Oregon - #9 Missouri - #10 Penn State - #11 Mississippi - #12 Oklahoma - 2023-2027 FBS/FCS Team Lists/Rosters - CFB's Best Player Names By Year/Position - Draft Scout Player Directory A-Z - Players by School/College List A-Z - Draft Scout Rokfin Football Channel - Draft Scout Weekly - Phil Steele/Draft Scout - Contact Draft Scout Player Rankings by Conference: -ACC- | -American Athletic- | -Big 12- | -Big Ten- | -Conference USA- | -Independent- | -Mid-American- | -Mountain West- | -Pac-12- | -SEC- | -Sun Belt-

NFL Draft Scout History

- 1997 Coach Bill Walsh Draft Insider (First/Early NFL Draft Scout) - 2023 NFL Draft Tracker/Results - 2023 Undrafted by Position - 2023 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2023 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - Draft Scout Evolve: Player Rating Changes - 2023 NFL Combine - Draft Scout CFB Risers - Draft Scout CFB Fallers - 2023 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2023-26 #1 Georgia Bulldogs - 2023-26 #3 TCU Horned Frogs - 2022-23 CFB Bowl Schedule - EA College Football Game Pushed Back to 2024 - CFB Schedule/Roster/News Links - CFB Player Injury News & Notes - CFB Injuries by Year/Position

2022 Draft Scout

- 2022 NFL Draft Tracker - 2022 Pro Timing Days/Results - 2022 Pro Timing Day Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Combine/Results - 2022 NFL Combine Risers by Position - 2022 NFL Draft Underclassmen - 2021 Draft Scout Top 100

Draft Scout by Conference

2023 Draft Scout Offense

2023 Draft Scout Defense

2022 Draft Scout Offense

2022 Draft Scout Defense

Draft Scout College Football Player News: North Carolina

Previous 15 Notes

Next 15 Notes

10/08/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

Drake Maye passed for 309 yards and two touchdowns, one of them a 74-yarder to J.J. Jones, and North Carolina overcame a stellar performance by Tyler Van Dyke to beat Miami 27-24 on Saturday. Josh Downs had a receiving touchdown and Omarion Hampton ran for another score for North Carolina (5-1, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference). Van Dyke completed 42 of 57 passes for 496 yards - the second-most in Miami history, behind Stephen Morris' 566 in 2012 - and three touchdowns for Miami (2-3, 0-1). Key'Shawn Smith, Henry Parrish and Colbie Young had the touchdown receptions for the Hurricanes, who scored 10 points in the final 28 seconds of the first half to get within 21-17. Will Mallory had eight catches for 115 yards for Miami. It ended up as Miami's third straight loss. It didn't lack for late-game drama.

Down 27-24, Miami initially appeared to recover an onside kick with about 2 minutes left; Al Blades Jr. dove along the sideline to knock the ball inbounds and the Hurricanes seemed poised to take over. The play was overturned by replay, which saw that Blades had stepped out of bounds and therefore couldn't touch the ball. North Carolina punted the ball back to Miami with 1:14 left, but Van Dyke was picked off with 8 seconds remaining. Caleb Hood rushed for 74 yards on 13 carries for the Tar Heels, who have won four straight over Miami for the first time. Jones' way-too-easy score capped a game-opening 95-yard drive, and Hampton's score finished off a 99-yard drive that was bolstered by a 52-yard pass from Maye to Antoine Green. But they never led, and for the first time in 15 years, Miami has gone three consecutive games without ever holding the lead. It happened at the end of that 2007 season, starting with the 48-0 debacle against Virginia that was Miami's final game in the Orange Bowl. Miami struggled to run the ball - 41 yards on 23 carries - but not converting on three key chances was even worse. - North Carolina/AP College Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: North Carolina/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/07/22 - Max Johnson, rSr/2026, North Carolina + More +

There appears to be some clarity on who'll be the Texas A&M quarterback Saturday night at Alabama. Starter Max Johnson could miss the rest of the season after breaking his hand last week at Mississippi State, Ian Fitzsimmons of ESPN Radio was first to report Thursday. The news was later confirmed by Brett McMurphy of The Action Network. Johnson, a transfer from LSU, started the last three games and completed 60.6% of his 71 passes for three touchdowns with no interceptions. That opens the door for Haynes King, the starter to open the season who was benched after the Aggies loss to Appalachian State. King is 39-for-64 passing for 510 yards and three touchdowns but has thrown four interceptions. King was the starter to open the 2021 season but was injured before Zach Calzada came off the bench to beat Alabama, 41-38. Calzada has since transferred to Auburn. - Birmingham News

rSr/2026

QB Max Johnson, North Carolina
News Source: Birmingham News
Share/Comment: Here

10/03/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

OCT 3 ACC QUARTERBACK/ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB, Huntersville, N.C.,...Finished with 436 total yards of offense in the Tar Heels' 41-10 win over Virginia Tech ... Completed 26 of 36 passes for a career-high 363 yards and three touchdowns ... Added a team-leading 73 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns to account for all five of the Tar Heels' TDs ... Named ACC Quarterback of the Week for the second time this season and ACC Rookie of the Week for the third time. - ACC Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: ACC Football
Share/Comment: Here

10/01/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

Drake Maye threw for three touchdowns and ran for two more to continue his strong start to the season and North Carolina opened up Atlantic Coast Conference play with a 41-10 victory over Virginia Tech on Saturday. Maye, a redshirt freshman, was able to consistently throw downfield, with 13 of his 26 completions going for at least 15 yards. He finished with 363 yards, going 26 of 36. Josh Downs led UNC (4-1, 1-0 ACC) with eight catches and 120 yards, and tight end Bryson Nesbit added 98 receiving yards on four receptions.

Grant Wells completed 16 of 26 passes for 139 yards and ran for a touchdown, but the Hokies (2-3, 1-1) struggled overall against a Tar Heel defense that turned in its best performance of the season. Linebacker Cedric Gray picked off Wells in the second quarter, which set up a 16-yard touchdown pass by Maye to Antoine Green one play later to give UNC a 21-3 lead, and the Hokies never never got closer than 11 points. The Tar Heels gave up nearly 500 yards per game in their first four contests, but UNC limited the number of big gainers by Virginia Tech. Wells never got in an extended rhythm, as the Hokies finished with only 273 yards. - AP College Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/26/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

SEPT 26 ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB, Huntersville, N.C.,...Named ACC Rookie of the Week for the second time following his performance in the Tar Heels' 45-32 loss to Notre Dame ... Had 337 total yards and threw five touchdown passes, raising his season total to 16 in four games ... Finished 17-of-32 passing for 301 yards and rushed for 36 yards. - ACC Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: ACC Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/18/22 - Max Johnson, rSr/2026, North Carolina + More +

Looking for a way to get his team back on track after an upset last week, Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher benched quarterback Haynes King for Max Johnson, and the LSU transfer came through to help the Aggies down the Miami on Saturday night. Johnson threw for 140 yards and a touchdown in his first start for No. 24 Texas A&M and the Aggies beat No. 13 Miami 17-9. Johnson replaced King after his subpar performance in Texas A&M's stunning loss to Appalachian State last week. "We've still got to get a heck of a lot better on offense," Fisher said. "But I thought that was what was best for us to win the game and that's what we did." Fisher was asked if the victory Saturday could be a boost to his team as it opens SEC play next week. "It was a shot we needed," he said. "We didn't need another shot the other way." Miami (2-1) was down by 8 and had to punt after two holding calls stalled a drive with about three minutes left.

The Hurricanes had a shot to get the ball back when Ainias Smith fumbled the punt on the 12. But he pounced on the ball before Miami could get to it to allow A&M to keep the ball. The Hurricanes got the ball back again after that, but Brashard Smith dropped a pass on fourth-and-4 with about 30 seconds left to allow the Aggies (2-1) to run out the clock for the victory. "We showed a lot of guts, a lot of heart," Fisher said, adding blocking out the outside noise was the key to being able to rebound this week. Dropped passes were a theme of the night for Miami as the team struggled without star receiver Xavier Restrepo, who missed the game with a foot injury. Tyler Van Dyke had 217 yards passing, but couldn't get the Hurricanes in the end zone. Devon Achane had 88 yards rushing and extended the lead to 17-3 with about 10 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter when he grabbed a short pass and shed four defenders en route to a 25-yard score. A 22-yard field goal by Andres Borregales cut the lead to 17-6 with about four minutes left in the third quarter. Borregales got Miami within 8 with a 34-yard field goal with 8 1/2 minutes to play. - Texas A&M/AP College Football

rSr/2026

QB Max Johnson, North Carolina
News Source: Texas A&M/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/13/22 - *Josh Downs, Jr/2023, North Carolina + More +

TRACKING TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS - WEEK 2: 25. Josh Downs, Jr, WR, North Carolina, 5-10, 175, 1,...North Carolina went to 3-0 with a 35-28 win over Georgia State but Downs was still not available because of a knee injury in the Tar Heels' opener. Previous week, No. 22: Downs did not play in North Carolina's epic, 63- 61 win over feisty Appalachian State. Downs was injured in the season-opening, 56-24, win over the Florida A&M Rattlers (FAMU). In that game he caught nine passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He limped off the field after his second score and wore ice on his left knee during a post-game. No word on if or when he will return. - Frank Cooney/NFL Draft Scout

Jr/2023

WR *Josh Downs, North Carolina
News Source: Frank Cooney/NFL Draft Scout
Share/Comment: Here

09/12/22 - Omarion Hampton, Jr/2026, North Carolina + More +

SEPT 12 ACC ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Omarion Hampton, North Carolina, RB, Clayton, N.C.,...Scored two rushing touchdowns while running for a career-high 110 yards in Saturday's 35-28 win at Georgia State...Averaged 6.9 yards on 16 rushing attempts while scoring the game-tying and go-ahead touchdowns in the second half. - ACC Football

Jr/2026

RB Omarion Hampton, North Carolina
News Source: ACC Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/12/22 - Cedric Gray, Sr/2024, North Carolina + More +

SEPT 12 ACC LINEBACKER OF THE WEEK: Cedric Gray, North Carolina, LB, Charlotte, N.C.,...Notched his career high in tackles for the second week in a row with 14 in Saturday's 35-28 non-conference win at Georgia State...Added two TFLs as the Tar Heels posted their second consecutive road win and moved to 3-0 on the year. - ACC Football

Sr/2024

ILB Cedric Gray, North Carolina
News Source: ACC Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/10/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

Drake Maye passed for two touchdowns, Omarion Hampton ran for a pair of scores and North Carolina escaped another upset bid from a Sun Belt Conference team Saturday, rallying for a 35-28 victory over Georgia State after squandering an 18-point lead. The Tar Heels (3-0) were coming off a wild 63-61 victory at Appalachian State despite giving up a staggering 40 points in the fourth quarter. They hit the road again to face Georgia State (0-2), which was hosting a Power 5 team in Atlanta for the first time in the 13-year history of its program.

The Panthers ripped off 25 straight points to grab a 28-21 lead late in the third quarter. But Hampton broke off a 58-yard touchdown run right down the middle of field to tie the game before the end of the third. He won it for the Tar Heels on a 2-yard scoring plunge with 10:42 remaining, ensuring they escaped another close call. Hampton finished with 110 yards rushing on 16 carries. Darren Grainger threw three touchdown passes for Georgia State. North Carolina appeared headed for a more comfortable win after the previous week's craziness, building a 21-3 lead midway through the second quarter. Maye threw a 55-yard touchdown pass to Kamari Morales and a 28-yarder to Kobe Paysour. - North Carolina/AP College Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: North Carolina/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/06/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

SEPT 6 ACC QB/ROOKIE OF THE WEEK: Drake Maye, North Carolina, QB, Huntersville, N.C.,...Accounted for five touchdowns and 428 total yards of offense in the Tar Heels' 63-61 victory at Appalachian State...Completed 24 of 36 attempts for a career-high 352 passing yards with four touchdowns...Set another career high with 76 rushing yards and added a rushing touchdown. - ACC Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: ACC Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/06/22 - *Josh Downs, Jr/2023, North Carolina + More +

TRACKING TOP DRAFT PROSPECTS - WEEK 1: 22. Josh Downs, Jr, WR, North Carolina, 5-10, 175,...Downs did not play in North Carolina's epic, 63- 61 win over feisty Appalachian State. Downs was injured in the season-opening, 56-24, win over the Florida A&M Rattlers (FAMU). In that game he caught nine passes for 78 yards and two touchdowns. He limped off the field after his second score and wore ice on his left knee during a post-game. No word on if or when he will return. - Frank Cooney/NFL Draft Scout

Jr/2023

WR *Josh Downs, North Carolina
News Source: Frank Cooney/NFL Draft Scout
Share/Comment: Here

09/03/22 - Drake Maye, rSo/2024, North Carolina + More +

Redshirt freshman Drake Maye continued his torrid start to the season, throwing for 352 yards and combining for five touchdowns as North Carolina outlasted Appalachian State 63-61 on Saturday despite surrendering 40 points in the fourth quarter. Maye, the younger brother of former Tar Heels basketball star Luke Maye, has thrown a school-record nine touchdown passes in two career starts. He also ran for a score against the Mountaineers. Chase Brice threw for 376 yards and six touchdowns for Appalachian State (0-1). The two teams combined for 62 points and 504 yards - in the fourth quarter. With the game tied at 49, Maye lofted a ball over the middle to D.J. Jones for a 42-yard touchdown pass on an all-out blitz by the Mountaineers to give North Carolina (2-0) the lead with 2:50 left in the game.

App State responded with Brice throwing his fifth TD pass of the game, a 28-yard strike to Deshaun Davis with 31 seconds left. The Mountaineers went for the 2-point conversion - and the apparent win - but Brice's pass sailed just over Davis' head. It seemed the game would end there, but UNC's Bryson Nesbit returned the ensuing onside kick for a 43-yard touchdown - a mistake that gave the Mountaineers 31 seconds to try to score again. Sure enough, Brice found Kaedin Robinson for a 26-yard TD strike with 9 seconds left to cut the lead to 63-61. The Mountaineers went for 2 but Brice was stopped short of the end zone. The Tar Heels fell behind 21-7 before rattling off 34 straight points and silence a record crowd of 40,168 at Kidd Brewer Stadium. Maye threw three TD passes in the first half, including a 10-yard TD strike to Nesbit to give the Tar Heels a 28-21 lead with 1 second left. - North Carolina/AP College Football

rSo/2024

QB Drake Maye, North Carolina
News Source: North Carolina/AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/03/22 - *Josh Downs, Jr/2023, North Carolina + More +

North Carolina will be without its top wide receiver, Josh Downs, for Saturday's game at Appalachian State. The Tar Heels announced just before kickoff that Downs would not play due to a lower body injury. It's unclear how long he will be out. Downs had nine catches for 78 yards and two touchdowns in UNC's win over Florida A&M in Week 0 and led the ACC with 101 catches last season for 1,335 yards and eight TDs. He ranked in the top 11 in the country in FBS in yards receiving per game. Downs emerged from the locker room during pregame warmups in street clothes and did not warm up. - AP College Football

Jr/2023

WR *Josh Downs, North Carolina
News Source: AP College Football
Share/Comment: Here

09/01/22 - *Josh Downs, Jr/2023, North Carolina + More +

ESPN TOP 100 PRESEASON 2022 CFB PLAYERS (Selected Aug. 17): No. 26. Josh Downs, WR, North Carolina, Junior. Notable 2021 stats: 101 rec, 1,335 yards. Last year's ranking: NR. For the bulk of the 2021 season, every defense the Tar Heels played knew where the ball was going. Downs was not just the No. 1 target, but often the only reliable pass catcher. And even with all that attention from defenders, he still caught 101 balls for 1,335 yards. While UNC will have a new QB for 2022, it also expects to have a better supporting cast for its star receiver, which could make Downs an even bigger weapon. - ESPN.com

Jr/2023