UNC football fan survey results: Drake Maye’s talent, Mack Brown’s successor and more

It’s game week for UNC football, which opens the 2023 season Saturday against South Carolina in primetime (7:30 p.m., ABC) with College GameDay at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte.

Based on the results of a USA TODAY Sports survey, a majority of Tar Heels’ fans believe their team can win nine games for two years in a row.

From UNC’s MVP, its most important position group and thoughts on head coach Mack Brown’s successor, fans gave their predictions on the state of the Heels. Here are the results of the fan survey.

Who will be UNC football’s MVP?

This was a runaway with quarterback Drake Maye picking up 98% of the votes. Maye, the reigning ACC Player of the Year, is the favorite to win the league's top award again this season. He’s also among the contenders to challenge for the Heisman Trophy. Maye had 38 touchdown passes and was the only FBS player to reach 5,000 yards in total offense.

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Who will be North Carolina football's breakout player?

Running backs Omarion Hampton (44%) and George Pettaway (38%) were the top choices in this category. Under new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey, Hampton and Pettaway have a chance to make strides as sophomores. Hampton had 401 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 88 carries last season. Pettaway, who could also see time in the slot as a receiver, had two rushing touchdowns and saw time as a kick returner in 2022.

What’s the most important position group for UNC?

Defensive line (48%) and defensive backs (42%) were spotlighted by UNC fans as the most important position groups for the Heels. The 2022 stats say that both of those areas need to improve for UNC. The Tar Heels allowed nearly 30 touchdown passes last season and were among the worst teams in pass-rushing stats.

How confident are you that UNC's defense will improve in 2023?

Nearly 49% of fans think UNC is in line for improvements on the defensive side of the ball. The other half are on either side of the spectrum ranging from very confident to not confident at all. Defensive coordinator Gene Chizik has preached throughout the preseason that he wants the Tar Heels to possess more “violence and speed.”

When Mack Brown retires, who would you want as the next head coach?

Defensive coordinator/assistant head coach Gene Chizik and offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey were the top choices for UNC fans to replace Brown, who said earlier this year that he has no plans to “quit” anytime soon. The 72-year-old Brown agreed to a one-year contract extension in February that could keep him in Chapel Hill through January 2028.

How many games will UNC win in the regular season?

UNC can reach nine victories for a second year in a row, according to 62% of fans who took part in the poll. The Tar Heels haven’t had two consecutive seasons with nine or more victories since 1996-97, Brown's last two years in his first stint at UNC. The rest of the fans who took part in the poll believe the Tar Heels are better suited to win between 5 to 8 games.

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC football fans give thoughts on Drake Maye, Mack Brown