UNC football stars Drake Maye and Cedric Gray have been named second team All-Americans by the Associated Press. The recognition is more in a long list of preseason honors for the quarterback and linebacker, who have already been named to numerous watch lists for national awards this summer.

Maye is at the forefront of college football this season and is seen as an almost sure bet for the first round of the NFL Draft next spring. As such, the redshirt sophomore is raking in award nominations in 2023. Maye is the reigning Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year and ACC Player of the Year, and more hardware could be in his future. He set single-season UNC records for passing yards, completions and attempts last season.

Like his teammate Maye, Gray was named first team All-ACC in 2022, leading the conference in total tackles. For his efforts, Gray was also named second team All-America by the Sporting News. Despite playing on a mediocre UNC defense, Gray has been rock-solid since stepping into the starting role. In addition to his elite tackling numbers, Gray also registered three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and two interceptions in 2022.

UNC’s season gets underway on September 2 against South Carolina in Charlotte. The game kicks off at 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on ABC.

 

Featured image via UNC Athletic Communications/Jerome M. Ibrahim

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