Former University of North Carolina standout Drake Maye had arguably his best game as a professional Sunday night. In a nationally televised game, Maye led the New England Patriots to a win over the previously undefeated Buffalo Bills.
Despite that performance, Maye’s alma mater remained suspiciously quiet. After calling out alum and Cowboys running back Javonte Williams on Sunday, the UNC Football X account did not say a word about Maye’s big win … until late Monday morning.
The team’s post came at a convenient time, as some spent the morning speculating whether Bill Belichick’s relationship with the Patriots was the reason UNC had shied away from mentioning the win.
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In the school’s defense, it usually highlights touchdowns from former UNC players. Maye did not throw for a touchdown in the 23-20 victory, but did have a fair amount of standout plays. UNC eventually found one of those to share.
The absence of Maye’s highlights on the school’s X account became an even bigger talking point early Monday after former UNC coach Mack Brown sent out a post congratulating Maye. Brown’s tweet came before UNC highlighted its former quarterback.
Brown coached Maye during his three years at UNC.
Things haven’t gone well in Chapel Hill during Belichick’s first season at the helm. The team is 2-3 under Belichick and is averaging 18.8 points per game. The Tar Heels have been blown out the past two weeks, scoring a combined 19 points and allowing an astonishing 72 points in those contests.
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Belichick opted to join UNC after he parted ways with the Patriots following the 2023 NFL season. He spent the 2024 season out of football before joining the Tar Heels in December.
Since his Patriots exit, Belichick’s relationship with team owner Robert Kraft has become a major talking point. While the two have had moments where they’ve been able to co-exist, it’s clear there’s still some bad blood over the way things went down. Belichick, notably, failed to mention Kraft at all in the coach’s book. Given the close working relationship they had for decades, the failure to mention Kraft felt intentional.
Given that animosity, would Belichick’s relationship with the Patriots actually be the reason why UNC waited so long to share Maye highlights from Sunday’s game? Belichick clearly still harbors a grudge against his former organization, as he won’t allow Patriots scouts at UNC facilities.
If the social-media directive exists, it’s a new thing. The school called out big plays by Maye earlier in the year.
That same day, the team also highlighted a Maye touchdown to Mack Hollins, another UNC alum.
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Until Monday morning, that was the last time the UNC football account mentioned Maye.
The school’s willingness to tweet about Maye — even long after the game ended — should put some of the Belichick speculation to bed. But the fact that some even wondered about it in the first place says a lot about how things have gone in Belichick’s first season with the school.