The New England Patriots selected Drake Maye with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. He impressed everyone in his rookie season and has already taken a significant leap in his second season.
Before his ascension into becoming a potential superstar, what else should the pro football world know about the people who brought Maye into the world?
A Look At Drake Maye’s Parents
Mark and Aimee Maye hold the title of being the parents of the high-profile incoming rookie quarterback out of North Carolina.
Both happened to meet on the Chapel Hill campus during their college years. North Carolina head coach Mack Brown spoke about Maye and the impact his parents have had on his career on “The Jim Rome Show“.
“If his mom and dad would let me, I’d adopt him,” Brown said. “He is a great person. He’s competitive. He’s grown up in an athletic family. His mom was a college athlete. His dad was the leading passer in the ACC. He’s got two brothers that won national championships — one in baseball at Florida, one at basketball here. He’s got another brother that was on our basketball team.
He’s the youngest of four, so he’s been beaten up. He had to fight to get a chicken leg at the table. He’s so competitive in everything he does. He’s smart. He’s got pride. He is so passionate about football that he does everything right in his life to make sure that he is going to play the best he can play.”
With Maye establishing himself as a bona fide star on the gridiron, does that mean he comes with athletic genes courtesy of his parents?
Getting to Know Maye’s Father
It turns out Maye is a legacy recruit at UNC. Mark Maye suited up for the Tar Heels from 1983 to 1988 and lined up behind center.
The patriarch went on to play in a combined 33 games. He accumulated 3,459 yards, tossed 20 touchdowns, and threw 22 interceptions.
Mark Maye emerged as co-captain of the 1987 Heels. He held UNC’s single-game record of most passing yards (406) against Georgia Tech, which was also the same game that saw Maye deliver a record-breaking 93-yard touchdown pass to Randy Marriott.
Mark went on to be inducted into the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.
Getting to Know Maye’s Mother
Was Aimee Maye an athlete at UNC? Drake Maye’s mom also led her own team.
Aimee Maye was once known as Aimee Sockwell — a basketball standout at the high school level before moving on to North Carolina.
She starred for West Charlotte High and earned Mecklenburg County Girls Player of the Year as a senior.
But in answering the earlier question about Aimee Maye, she opted not to shoot hoops for the Tar Heels’ women’s basketball team. She instead cheered from the stands, watching her future husband, Mark, before returning to cheer on her other sons.
Does Maye Have Any Siblings?
There are four Maye boys altogether.
Luke Maye is the oldest, plus the first national champion from the family tree. However, he’s more revered on campus as a former basketball star.
While suiting up for Roy Williams, Maye played on the Tar Heels team that defeated Gonzaga for the 2017 national title. However, UNC likely would’ve never gotten there had it not been for the crucial game-winning jump shot Luke Maye hit with 0.3 seconds against Kentucky in the Elite Eight.
Luke Maye thrived for UNC for the next two seasons by averaging 16.9 points per game in his junior year and 14.9 in his senior year. He also collected more than 10 rebounds per contest in his last two collegiate seasons. The elder Maye is now playing professionally in Japan.
Then there’s Cole Maye. He made his mark on the baseball diamond outside of his home state. He emerged as a national championship series pitcher for Florida in 2017 … the same year Luke led the Heels to the NCAA MBB title.
Finally, Beau Maye rounds out the three siblings of the future NFL passer. Beau starred at William A. Hough High School in Cornelius, NC, and became a two-time captain on the hardwood. He went on to walk on for UNC basketball for the 2022 season.
Maye has been impressive in the 2025 NFL campaign, throwing for 2,555 yards, 19 touchdowns, and just five interceptions, while rushing for 283 yards and two touchdowns in 10 games.
Heading into Week 11, he sits third among the quarterbacks in the league based on PFSN’s QB Impact metric, proving he is quickly establishing himself as one of the league’s top young quarterbacks.
New England Patriots’ Insights for Week 11
Team: New England’s eight wins on the season match the total from the last two seasons combined.
QB: Drake Maye’s 75.6 (C) QBi in Week 10 against the Buccaneers was his second-lowest of the season.
Offense:Â The Patriots have scored 29.3 PPG during their seven-game winning streak.
Defense:Â New England leads the NFL in allowing 79.2 rush yards per game. Last season, the Patriots ranked 23rd, allowing 131.4 rush yards per game.
Fantasy: TreVeyon Henderson broke off a 55-yard touchdown against the Bucs: Rhamondre Stevenson has one 35+ yard touchdown rush during his NFL career.
