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Drake Maye is the sharpest two-edged sword of the bowl season.

You have to think the Duke’s Mayo Bowl asked UNC if Maye will definitely play in the December 27 game against West Virginia before issuing an official invitation. By the same token, what if Maye and his family haven’t decided yet?

Imagine Maye playing his final college game in Charlotte, 20 minutes from his childhood home in Huntersville. The future first-round NFL draft pick could go out helping the Tar Heels end the season on a positive note. He went as far as saying after the N.C. State loss soured another Carolina football season that he’d like to “suit up one more time” with his teammates.

If Maye decides to play, ticket sales at Bank of America Stadium will immediately spike. And a big crowd bidding Maye farewell could mean an economic post-Christmas boon for Charlotte.

Adding to his nearly 9,500 yards of total offense and his 84 touchdowns probably doesn’t mean that much to Maye right now. Agents may tell his family it is too risky, like they helped several starters decide to sit out the 2020 Orange Bowl, but Maye seems like a gamer almost immune to injuries.

If he doesn’t play and gets on with prepping for the NFL Draft next April, the Tar Heels have next to no chance of beating the Mountaineers and winning their ninth game for a second straight year. Back-up Conner Harrell has played very sparingly the last two regular seasons, and it would be unreasonable to think he can get ready in a month.

With sports betting legal all over the country, the opening line for the Mayo Bowl might be off the board until Maye is confirmed to play or ruled out. That is how much difference his presence would make with wagering.

Maye was the understudy to Sam Howell for a year, and Howell finished his college career in the same bowl in the same stadium in 2021. Still, they talk often, and their conversation could also affect Maye’s decision.

Carolina has lost three straight bowl games under Mack Brown after winning the 2019 Military Bowl. Brown rates the 38-21 loss to South Carolina in the Mayo Bowl two years ago as one of his worst coaching experiences.

And if Maye doesn’t play, a return trip to the stadium where the Heels opened this season with a big win over the Gamecocks might end up feeling like 2021 far more than this past September.

It’s just an educated guess, but I think Maye will play one more game.

 

Featured image via Associated Press/Gene J. Puskar


Art Chansky is a veteran journalist who has written ten books, including best-sellers “Game Changers,” “Blue Bloods,” and “The Dean’s List.” He has contributed to WCHL for decades, having made his first appearance as a student in 1971. His “Sports Notebook” commentary airs daily on the 97.9 The Hill WCHL and his “Art’s Angle” opinion column runs weekly on Chapelboro.

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