Drake Maye named starting quarterback in North Carolina Tar Heels' season opener against Florida A&M

North Carolina will start Drake Maye at quarterback on Saturday against Florida A&M, coach Mack Brown announced Monday.

Maye and Jacolby Criswell had been competing for the starting job to replace the departed Sam Howell. Brown repeatedly stressed during his press conference that the competition between the two players was close and did not want to elaborate on why or when the decision was made to start Maye.

"We just felt like Drake should walk out there first," Brown said. "There's very little difference between the two. If one quarterback is not moving the ball, we'll put the other one in. We're going to give each one a chance. If you're moving it, you stay in. If you're not, let each one have a chance."

Brown also said if Maye does not have a good week of practice, then Criswell will start.

"We have told these players we are not going to allow guys to walk on the field and not compete and not practice well and play on Saturday," Brown said. "You're going to lose your job if you're not ready to go every morning, because we're not going to put up with it."

Neither player has much game experience. Brown said the two players split reps evenly throughout the spring and fall camp.

"We've looked at every little thing every day from spring until now. It's very close," Brown said. "It's really a close decision that we ended up just saying we feel like [Maye] earned the right to be out there first. We're so lucky they're both good, they're both smart, they both get along, they both know the offense."

Maye, the younger brother of North Carolina basketball standout Luke Maye, went 7-of-10 for 89 yards and a touchdown in two games as a backup last season. The former ESPN 300 player in the class of 2021 flipped his commitment from Alabama to North Carolina.

In addition, Brown announced DJ Jones will start at running back in place of British Brooks, who is out for the season with a lower body injury he sustained last week in practice.