Drake Maye, North Carolina teammates to host NIL meet and greet
North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye, linebackers Power Echols and Cedric Gray, tight end Bryson Nesbit and wide receiver Devontez “Tez” Walker are using their NIL rights to participate in a meet and greet sponsored by the collective Heels4Life.
The event, which is branded as “Heels, Huddle & Handshakes,” will take place from 5-7 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 14 at Tremont Local Drinkery & Eatery in Charlotte.
Maye, who’s the reigning ACC Player of the Year and ACC Freshman of the Year, was recently named the ACC Preseason Player of the Year. As a redshirt freshman, Maye threw for 4,321 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. North Carolina went 9-5 last season, losing to Clemson in the ACC Championship Game.
Walker and Gray were also named to the 2023 Preseason All-ACC Football Team.
Heels4Life announced the meet and greet on Twitter on Thursday, then Maye did the same.
Tickets are available for $100. Attendees will receive food, autographs and opportunities for photos. There will also be a raffle. Attendees must bring a copy of their receipt and an ID.
The meet and greet is also presented by the hunger relief program PORCH Inc., Sumner Sports and the North Carolina Sports Hall of Fame.
Maye’s tweet said the meet and greet will help raise funds for PORCH.
According to PORCH’s website, “Started in 2010 in Chapel Hill, NC, PORCH has grown into a repeatable model of monthly neighborhood food drives and fresh produce distribution supplying food pantries, schools, and community programs across the country. PORCH’s volunteer network of 30 chapters in 9 states, has contributed more than $10 million dollars in hunger relief.”
The meet and greet is part of the ACC Barnstorming Tour, which The Sumner Group has sponsored for more than 40 years.
Drake Maye’s On3 NIL Valuation
Drake Maye has an On3 NIL Valuation of $1.5 million, which ranks No. 4 among current college football players and checks in at No. 7 in the On3 NIL 100.
The On3 NIL Valuation utilizes a proprietary algorithm that calculates the projected annual value of an athlete’s earning potential in the NIL landscape. It incorporates Brand Value and Roster Value. Brand Value factors in regional and national sponsorships, while Roster Value takes into account the role of NIL collectives nationally.
Gray has an On3 NIL Valuation of $219,000 and Walker has an On3 NIL Valuation of $163,000.
Walker transferred to North Carolina from Kent State, where he caught 58 passes for 921 yards and 11 touchdowns last season. He earned first-team All-MAC honors.