The New England Patriots and their fans have playoff hopes as a result of their second year player, first year starting quarterback Drake Maye. Maye has been a vital addition to the Patriots, and has proven himself NFL ready through his success in the 2025 season. Maye has shown his great ability to throw the deep ball with accuracy, as well as gain yards himself on the ground.
Maye had a very successful high school athletic career, playing both basketball and football, while competing at an extremely high level in both sports at Myers Park High School. In basketball, he was able to average a double – double in points and rebounds, averaging just over 16 points and 11 rebounds. This was enough for him to receive interest from some lower level Division 1 schools. Football, however, was his niche, as he threw for 50 touchdowns in his junior season alone. He then received an offer from University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill, and played the following three years there, one of which was a redshirt, and two as a starter. At UNC, he threw for over 8,000 yards, securing himself a professional career opportunity with the New England Patriots, who took him third overall in the 2024 draft.
This year, Drake Maye is an MVP candidate for the Patriots, and has led them to a 10-2 record going into their Week 13 matchup against the New York Giants. The Giants, riddled with injuries, have only won 2 games in the 2025 season. Notable losses for the Giants include wide receiver Malik Nabers and running back Cam Skettebo, two of the best playmakers in the NFL, who are now sidelined with season ending injuries. Their rookie quarterback Jaxson Dart also was sidelined for Weeks 11 and 12, but is expected to return to play against New England on Monday Night Football.
However, Hingham High School students Graham Frank and Benji McNamara do not fear the return of Dart, and voice their confidence in Drake Maye. Benji McNamara claimed that Maye is, “A phenomenon on the field,” and Graham Frank said, “Drake Maye is the unstoppable force that is leading the Patriots to their successful season.” The words of these two high school students give context to the feelings of Patriots fans around New England as the second half of the NFL season gets underway.
