For as long as college football has existed, fans have held great debates. Since the quarterback position is the most high-profile position in the sport, fans have often asked: “who is the better QB?” for decades.
Today, Jordan Epp and I take a crack at our own quarterback debate around the ACC QB Rankings: Who is the better, Jordan Travis or Drake Maye?
ACC QB Rankings: Jordan Travis vs. Drake Maye
The debate for top ACC quarterback has proven to be a fun one. As such, our analysts were given the question “Who is better: Jordan Travis or Drake Maye?” and asked to run with it. With each analyst believing their side is the right camp to back, they provide analysis on behalf of their quarterback below.
MORE: ACC Weekly Football Schedule
All analysis belongs to each analyst.
Why Drake Maye Is The Best QB In The ACC
After tearing up college football in 2022 as just a redshirt freshman, North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye established his case as the best quarterback in the ACC, if not the best player overall.
Maye has everything that can define someone as the best college quarterback in his conference: Statistical dominance, athletic prowess, and translatable skills for the next level.
In his first season as a starter, Maye not only passed for an ACC-leading 4,321 yards but was also in the top 10 in rushing yards. His 698 rushing yards ranked eighth in the conference last season, trailing only Duke QB Riley Leonard by just one yard for the top spot among quarterbacks.
Excluding sack yardage, Maye ran for 899 yards, which was third in the FBS.
The North Carolina native isn’t just an athlete playing a quarterback, though.
Maye is a monster inside the structure and a walking big-play machine. He finished third in total touchdowns despite his offensive line allowing consistent pressure all season long.
Maye embodies all the attributes that are desirable for a modern quarterback. He has a rocket for a right arm that can hit receivers deep down the field or put the necessary zip on short and intermediate throws. However, his athletic versatility means he can capitalize against defenses that try to counter his elite deep ball with man-to-man or soft coverages.
Even after losing his two leading receivers from 2022 — Josh Downs and Antoine Green — the expectation should remain that Maye remains the ACC’s best signal caller. Key additions were made over the offseason by the North Carolina Tar Heels’ staff to bring in All-MAC receiver Devontez Walker, who should be a puzzle piece fit for Maye’s strengths. If Maye stays healthy, he should hear his name early in April.
–Jordan Epp
Why Jordan Travis Is The Best QB In The ACC
I understand the hype around Maye, but in the great words of WWE manager and legendary mouthpiece Paul Heyman, “One last volley, if I may?”
We saw Travis and the Florida State Seminoles come on strong in 2022, and it was due to Travis emerging as a legitimate college football superstar. Travis possesses pinpoint accuracy on his throws and threads the needle as well as any QB not-named Caleb Williams.
Travis plays the game with anticipation, making proper decisions from the pocket. He is a surgeon under center, picking apart the would-be defense, similar to the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Bryce Young.
When comparing Maye and Travis, understand that these two QBs work in two radically different offensive schemes. While North Carolina’s scheme is changing under new offensive coordinator this season, FSU operates a more traditional pro-style offense with spread tendencies.
In other words, on some level, you are comparing apples to oranges if you are basing your debate purely on overall statistical analysis.
Maye threw the ball 160 more times than Travis in 2022 and Travis will never have this heavy passing volume, so you must look under the hood.
I fully expect Travis to continue his ascension in 2023, while Maye will naturally regress without some of his top playmakers from 2022.
If you ask me which QB I would take to win a game, regardless of the circumstances around them, I am taking Travis every day of the week and twice on Saturdays.
–Ryan Broyles
