UNC NIL collective makes deal for Maye amid transfer, offer rumors

By Brian Murphy, WRAL sports reporter

UNC quarterback Drake Maye did not hear financial offers to transfer directly but people reached out to his representatives and his high school coach, he told ESPN in an interview this week.

And Heels4Life, the collective created to help UNC football players, signed Maye to a deal for a "very, very fair amount" of money, the group's executive director told ESPN.

"Drake epitomizes the connection that Carolina makes with its student-athletes," said Graham Boone, the executive director of Heels4Life told WRAL on Friday. "Drake is a phenomenal representative for campus, for the community. We're looking forward to showcasing our support."

Boone said he was not going to disclose how much the deal with Maye is worth. But financial figures have been tossed out in connection with the quarterback, who is projected as a first-round NFL pick when he is draft eligible in 2024.

UNC coach Mack Brown said Maye, the ACC player of the year, was offered "a whole lot of money" to transfer and, though he declined to name which schools came after Maye, pointed to the top of the recruiting rankings. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said publicly that he'd heard Maye was offered $5 million two schools.

Maye's father played quarterback for the Tar Heels. One brother is a former UNC basketball player and another is a current member of the team. Maye said after the ACC Championship Game loss to Clemson and again on social media that he would return to Chapel Hill for a third season, declaring "it means something wearing that Carolina blue."

"Drake represents a big piece of momentum for this program," Boone said. As Brown tries to "re-establish the national prominence of the program, Drake and a number of other players have shown Carolina, we're here."

Brown referenced Heels4Life repeatedly during press conferences this week. UNC AD Bubba Cunningham publicly backed the collective earlier this month and called on supporters to help it.

Boone took over as executive director of Heels4Life in August. "It's been a very unique first few months," he said.

Part of that has been the emergence of Maye, who competed for the starting job in fall camp but emerged as a Heisman contender down the stretch. UNC began the season 9-1 before losing its next three games.

More than a dozen UNC players, including former top recruits, entered the transfer portal after the season. But losing Maye, given his family ties to the program and his on-field success, would have been a devastating blow.

Boone told ESPN: "We wanted to make sure he had no interest in going anywhere else."

Maye was involved in Brown's hiring of a new offensive coordinator.

Maye signed with CAA Sports Agency in September after his debut. The agency, one of the most prominent in the world, handles his NIL representation. He also has worked with Heels4Life.

Maye told ESPN: "There was nothing to me or my family directly offered from any of these other schools. Nothing was said or offered to the Mayes."

He added to ESPN: "Some people were texting my high school coach about it. That's mainly what happened, people reached out to some of my representatives and NIL media people."

Schools are not supposed to contact players who have not entered the transfer portal. Coaches across the NCAA have complained about third-party contact or "tampering," as Brown put it.

"Drake got offered a lot of money to go to different schools and it's tampering. It's 100% tampering," Brown said. "But he got offered money.

"The NCAA needs to look very very closely at tampering and and the people who are paying guys up front and not going through the collective and doing it the proper way because it is completely out of control."

Brown said earlier this week he was not aware of what Heels4Life had done with Maye, if anything.

"I don't know that because I'm not supposed to be involved. So I stay completely out of that Heels4Life," he said.

Brown is not alone among NCAA coaches who are upset about what is happening with the transfer portal and NIL. Several coaches have called on the NCAA to act, concerned about players being bought off campuses.

"It’s not exaggerated that there’s people out there that are calling young people and their parents and promising them things at other schools if they leave or de-commit," NC State coach Dave Doeren said this week. "That’s happening. It’s happening too much at an alarming rate."