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CHARLOTTE – North Carolina Coach Mack Brown opened up a lot of speculation during his press conference Friday in advance of the ACC championship game Saturday, by offering a clear example of tampering with one of his players.

“I sat down and did lunch with one of our starters the other day, and I said, ‘Are you getting calls,’” Brown said. “He said, ‘Coach, I've got 15 places I can go.’ He said, ‘I'm not going anywhere.’ I said, ‘Are they offering you money?’ He said, ‘Yes, 100 percent.’”

So, naturally, following the Tar Heels’ 39-10 loss to Clemson at Bank of America Stadium, the best and most noteworthy Tar Heel was asked about NIL and his commitment to UNC.

Does redshirt freshman quarterback Drake Maye plan on returning to Chapel Hill for next season?

“That’s my intention,” Maye replied. “I'm a Carolina kid. It means something to wear that Carolina blue, so that’s my intention. I love this place, the fans have been great. It's been a heck of a season, a first year for me, I couldn’t ask for more.

“I wish the games would’ve gone a little differently here at the end. But, thanks to all of the players, fans and coaches.”

As far as the tampering goes, Maye said nobody has offered him anything. In addition, a source very close to the situation confirmed late Saturday nigh that Maye is not the player Brown was referencing.

“I haven’t had anybody reach out,” he said. “If I do, I won't really accept personal contact. I think that it’s bad. The way Carolina has treated me, they put trust in me, a redshirt freshman quarterback.”

Plenty of highly touted have agents and people who handle inquiries. Maye, however, isn’t certain how his people will go about it.

“I’m not sure,” he said. “I’m not that deep into it.”

Maye set a UNC single-season record passing for 4,115 yards this season, with one game to go, as well as 35 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also leads the Tar Heels in rushing with 653 yards, plus Maye has scored seven times on the ground.