When: Saturday, April 15, 3pm ET
Where to watch: ACC Network
When the doors of Kenan Memorial Stadium open for North Carolina's 2023 spring football game, it will be the first time we see Drake Maye in his sophomore season.
Maye rapidly became one of the top quarterbacks in the country as a freshman last year. So much so that he is being considered a top-two pick in the 2024 NFL draft alongside Caleb Williams.
Drake Maye has become a familiar face in college football. But there is nothing familiar to him on this North Carolina offense.
Phil Longo has left his position as offensive coordinator in Chapel Hill to assume the same role in Wisconsin. Meaning Maye will have to adapt to a new coordinator for his sophomore season, with more eyes on him than ever before.
Former UCF offensive play caller Chip Lindsey has arrived in North Carolina and we will see what kind of stamp he has put on the offense throughout the spring.
Lindsey will have a reduced playbook for the scrimmage with only a few weeks of practice under his belt. It may even look vanilla at times. But it will give us an insight into the depth chart heading into the summer.
Josh Downs and Antoine Green were the leading receivers in North Carolina last year. They have both moved on to play on Sundays.
Inexperienced wide receivers will need to emerge as options for their superstar quarterback. Kobe Paysour, JJ Jones, and Andre Green are some of the names to watch who could step up to the plate.
There is no mistaking who Drake Maye is this season. Defensive coordinators will be well-versed in his play and will have UNC circled on their calendars. As a result, Maye will need more help from his offensive line and the running game.
The Tar Heels struggled to run the ball last year. And the offensive line gave up 40 sacks. Maye's late-season problems can be directly correlated to this.
The spring game will be a good chance to see some new faces on the offensive line.
2022 five-star recruit Zach Rice is coming off his redshirt season and will be expected to be a star on the offensive front. But there are still holes to be filled and names to be made.
North Carolina's defensive secondary was decimated by the transfer portal. With Storm Duck, Cam Kelly, and Tony Grimes all finding new homes, the initial panic was understandable.
However, the North Carolina secondary was abysmal last season.
The departure of last season's starters allows some fresh faces to come into the fold.
Tennessee State and Virginia Tech transferees Alijah Huzzie and Armani Chatman will be looked upon at cornerback to improve the backend of the defense.
With the front seven remaining reasonably intact, defensive coordinator Gene Chizik will be hoping to see some successful flashes from these new faces in the secondary during the spring game.
