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CHAPEL HILL – Mack Brown wasn’t interested in going into specifics Monday about the staff’s decision to start redshirt freshman Drake Maye at quarterback Saturday night versus Florida A&M.

Maye will start the game, he and Jacolby Criswell are really good, both compete hard, and he wants Criswell to be ready to play. And if the third-year sophomore does, Brown is highly confident he can lead the Tar Heels to victories.

In some respects, that can be the end of discussion, but it won’t be given the nature of the constant chatter the position engenders, especially when there’s a hotly contested competition for QB1. That was the case here with Maye and Criswell. What matters, Brown says, is that Maye will walk out onto the field first against the Rattlers.

“We feel like that competition has been outstanding,” Brown said inside the Kenan Football Center. “Both could play. Drake has earned the right. I’m not going to get into why and what, because it’s very close and we’re pleased with both of them, and both will play at some point during the year, because you’ve got inexperienced quarterbacks and you’re gonna need someone.”

UNC offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Phil Longo said Monday that Maye was informed Sunday night and Criswell on Monday morning. Both players “handled it like pros,” Longo said.

Unlike the last time Longo and Brown had to make such a decision, when then-true freshman Sam Howell got the nod over older quarterbacks Cade Fortin and Jace Ruder in 2019, this was a tougher decision because Longo is personally closer to Criswell and Maye much more, and is more invested in them.

“I had an individual meeting with both of them, and we just talked about what direction we’re going to go,” Longo said. “It’s a relatively difficult decision because they’re both so good. They both had great camps, they both can start here. But at the end of the day, on Saturday, somebody has to run out there first, and so that will be Drake.”

Maye, who is almost 6-foot-5 and weighs 220 pounds, played 41 snaps in four appearances last fall. He was 7-for-10 passing with 89 yards and a touchdown, while he ran the ball six times for 62 yards.

Criswell, who is 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, has played more, but not by a significant margin with just 94 total snaps under his belt. He is 16-for-25 passing with 195 yards, a touchdown and an interception, and has run the ball 16 times for 94 yards and a score.

Both players had specifics they needed to work on at the conclusion of spring practice, and Longo says they satisfied those missions. The points of emphasis for each are the things with which they made the greatest strides over the last month.

On Maye, Longo said: “I wanted him to clean up some footwork in the spring, and we wanted him to be a little more accurate with regard to triggering the ball faster. And he did that. That was a big improvement for him in August. He got the ball out sooner because we were making quicker decisions. We cleaned up his footwork, so there’s no wasted movement, and he’s a much better passer because of it.”

On Criswell, Longo said: “We asked the same thing from a mental standpoint. He threw the ball extremely well in the spring. I wanted him to do a better job of run-reading and doing some things off of pulled throws in the run game. And he did.”

Brown said in addition to taking the first snap versus the Rattlers, Maye could take every snap. There is no specific plan to get Criswell into the game. Longo backed that up as well, but the message to Criswell is he must prepare as if he’s the starter.

“He’ll be ready to play, and he may have to,” Longo said. “We’ll let the game go the way it goes and see what the situation is.”

UNC and FAMU kick off at approximately 8:10 PM on Saturday night, and the game will be televised on the ACC Network.