UNC’s Brown wants ‘flawless offense’ for Maye
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Andrea Adelson, ESPN Senior Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — North Carolina coach Mack Brown made offensive staff changes with two goals in mind: put quarterback Drake Maye in position to have a great season and maximize his NFL draft future.
To that end, Brown hired Chip Lindsey as offensive coordinator, former Browns coach Freddie Kitchens as tight ends coach and former NFL quarterback coach Clyde Christensen as a volunteer offensive analyst — the latter fresh off four years in Tampa Bay, three of which were spent with Tom Brady.
With fall practice set to begin next week, Brown told ESPN Thursday during ACC Kickoff he recently asked the three coaches to put their ideas together to get a “flawless offense” in place.
“I’ve got [Maye] a lot of manpower in that room, and now what we’ve got to do is make sure all of them do what’s best for him, that is therefore best for our offense,” Brown said. “I’ve really challenged them over the summer to make sure that we put all of our ideas together and get a flawless offense on the field instead of a bunch of ideas from a bunch of really bright guys.
“We can’t do that. We got to be one. We can’t be three different minds.”
Maye heads into this season as a possible No. 1 overall draft pick and a Heisman Trophy candidate. ESPN draft analyst Jordan Reid currently has Maye going third overall in his summer mock draft, and the second quarterback taken behind USC’s Caleb Williams.
When asked whether he has heard the talk about him and Williams as possible No. 1 picks, Maye acknowledged he had, but tried to deflect that conversation and focus on the upcoming season.
“It’s hard to really fathom it because you dream of that, one day hearing your name on stage, but at the end of the day, we’ve just got to win games,” Maye said. “The personal accolades will come with winning games.”
Last season, Maye led North Carolina to the ACC championship game while setting single-season school records for passing yards (4,321), completions (342) and attempts (517), earning ACC Player of the Year honors and becoming a Freshman All-American.
But the Tar Heels also struggled down the stretch, losing four straight — including 39-10 to Clemson in the ACC title game. Maye threw four of his seven interceptions of the season in those four losses, and did not hit the 300-yard passing mark in any of those games.
When offensive coordinator Phil Longo left for Wisconsin, Brown knew his offensive coordinator hire would be crucial, so he included Maye in the process. Lindsey comes to North Carolina from UCF, and runs a similar offense to Longo, but is expected to put more of an emphasis on the running game.
“What I looked for was a great teacher. I looked for somebody who matched Drake’s personality,” Brown said. “I looked for somebody who would keep the same passing game because it’s really good, but also a guy that was running the ball better than we were and that would help us with the protections as well.
“So this just fit perfectly, and thank goodness. When I had Drake talk to him separate from me, if Drake had called and said ‘I don’t like him,’ we’ve got a problem.”
For his part, Maye said he is feeling good heading into fall camp with the way their relationship has developed.
“This summer’s been great,” Maye said. “We’re finding our identity and honing in on plays. He’s done a great job of kind of asking me what I like and what I don’t like, so he’s a perfect coach a quarterback wants a play for. He’s not the one doing the playing, so he’s got to know what I like. Because at the end of day, I’m the one out there executing it.”
Maye said he has spent time rewatching last season’s games to find ways to improve as well, like identifying plays where he could have minimized damage by throwing the ball away and not taking a sack or not forcing the ball into place he couldn’t get it.
“Just knowing that leadership-wise, it’s my team. As a quarterback, you’re put in that role, and I’ve embraced that role,” Maye added.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers is not expected to play against Mississippi State on Saturday, per sources, as the Longhorns staff is expected to sit him out in order for him to be fully healthy for the game against Oklahoma on Oct. 12.
A final decision on Ewers is expected later Saturday, per sources, but the decision is trending toward allowing him to use Texas’ week off following the Mississippi State game to get healthy. Ewers has been considered week-to-week since injuring his oblique against UTSA on Sept. 14.
Ewers finished the week at nearly 70%, as he practiced Tuesday, was limited Wednesday and ended up limited in practice Thursday to allow him to fully heal. Per sources, the Texas coaching staff wanted to give Ewers the extra rest to ensure he’d return at full strength.
The decision means that Texas will against start backup quarterback Arch Manning, who will make his first career start in an SEC game. Manning made his first start against Louisiana Monroe, completing 15 of 29 passes for 258 yards. He had two touchdown passes and two interceptions.
Ewers’ oblique injury came in the wake of him displaying one of the season’s best performances at Michigan in Week 2, as he threw for 246 yards and three touchdowns in a blowout Texas win in Ann Arbor.
Mississippi State enters the game on a three-game losing streak, which includes back-to-back blowout home losses to Toledo and Florida. The Bulldogs are trending toward finishing at the bottom of the SEC, as they have one of the country’s worst defenses. They are No. 111 nationally in total defense and No. 107 in scoring defense.
Mississippi State will also be without its starting quarterback, as starter Blake Shapen is out for the year after suffering a shoulder injury against Florida. Michael Van Buren, a true freshman, will make his first career start for the Bulldogs.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Georgia defensive lineman Mykel Williams is a “true game-time decision” for the No. 2 Bulldogs at No. 4 Alabama on Saturday night, according to ESPN sources.
Williams has missed the previous two games with a Grade 2 ankle sprain, which he suffered against Clemson in the opener. He’ll be evaluated in pregame warmups and a decision will be made on his status.
Williams has been limited in practice this week, and it’s expected that if he does play it’ll be at less than 100 percent. He’s also unlikely to play a heavy snap count if he does play, as he’s working his way back.
Williams is a marauding defensive end who is the best player in Georgia’s front seven and is a high-end NFL prospect. ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has him ranked No. 4 overall player for the 2025 NFL draft.
Williams started the season hot before injuring his ankle against Clemson, as he had two tackles for loss and three quarterback pressures in that game.
They will be an onus on Georgia’s defensive line, especially on the ends, to help slow Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe in Tuscaloosa.
Georgia’s defensive line will benefit from the return of senior Warren Brinson, who is listed as probable after missing the past two games. Sophomore defensive lineman Jordan Hall is questionable for the SEC showdown.
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Pete Thamel, ESPN
Utah quarterback Cam Rising, who has been snakebit by injuries the past two years, is again expected to be a game-time decision against Arizona on Saturday night, sources told ESPN.
Rising has missed No. 10 Utah’s past two games after an injury to his throwing hand that he suffered against Baylor on Sept. 7. He missed all of last season after an ACL tear in the Rose Bowl following the 2022 season.
Rising’s status will undergo the same evaluation process with the Utah staff as before the Oklahoma State game last week. He’ll throw the ball pregame, and his ability to deliver spin and velocity on the ball will determine whether he’ll play, per sources.
As Rising has struggled to recover and get back on the field, one factor that could weigh into the decision is the chance to get him back fully healthy in two weeks. Utah has a bye before they play at Arizona State on Oct. 11.
Rising has practiced this week but remained limited as the staff has attempted to rest his finger.
Freshman Isaac Wilson has started the past two weeks, leading the Utes to victories over Utah State in Logan and in Stillwater against the Cowboys.
Wilson has shown both moments of promise and interspersed those with moments that have illuminated his youth. He threw for 207 yards on 17-of-29 passing against Oklahoma State. He also threw two interceptions. He threw for three touchdowns and 239 yards against Utah State.
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