With the NFL playoffs coming to their last dance, attention shifts to Super Bowl LX on February 8 as the Patriots meet the Seahawks. But the CFB world is excited about one storyline: Drake Maye being the second-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history. And Alabama, in particular, seems to be pulling the legs of its former commitment.

Maye’s performance has triggered a credit battle between North Carolina, where he became a star, and Alabama, the program he first committed to. The official Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium Twitter account pulled off one of the pettier moves in college football. After Drake Maye secured his spot in Super Bowl LX, Alabama’s official stadium account dug up Maye’s old commitment graphic from July 2019. They reposted the image, complete with Maye’s full statement thanking God, his family, coaches, and teammates before announcing he was “committed to the University of Alabama,” and slapped a simple caption on it: “Built By Bama.” The only problem is that Maye never played a single down for Alabama.

The troll was absolutely brilliant. Maye committed to Nick Saban and the Crimson Tide in the summer of 2019 as a four-star pro-style quarterback. He chose Alabama over Clemson, Georgia, and his home state, North Carolina. He gushed about Saban’s winning mentality and said it was “definitely hard” not to pick UNC given his family ties. His older brother Luke played basketball there, and his father Mark played quarterback for the Tar Heels. 

But Alabama felt like the best place in the country, so he committed early. Then, two months later, in September 2019, Alabama took a commitment from Bryce Young, another quarterback in the same recruiting class. Maye’s older brother Luke later said the move “hurt” Drake, who had dreamed of playing for Saban since fifth or sixth grade. By March 2020, Maye officially decommitted and flipped to North Carolina, choosing to stay home and build something special with the Tar Heels rather than wait his turn behind Young at Alabama.

The irony is that both sides ended up fine. Maye became a Heisman finalist at UNC and the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, while Alabama started Jalen Milroe and kept winning championships. But Alabama claiming Maye as “Built By Bama” after he spent zero days in Tuscaloosa is peak college football trolling.

 At 23 years and 162 days old, Maye will become the second-youngest starting quarterback in Super Bowl history when the Patriots face off on February 8 at Levi’s Stadium. He’s already reached the Super Bowl faster than Tom Brady ever did, doing it in his second NFL season after leading New England to a perfect 9-0 road record.

Mack Brown’s support for his former QB

Mack Brown was the pulling factor for Drake Maye’s decommitment from the Crimson Tide. That’s why when the 23-year-old reached his first-ever Super Bowl, Brown wouldn’t just sit and watch. He went online and supported his pupil for the biggest game of his life.

“Congratulations on a great year Drake, and good luck in the Super Bowl,” Brown posted on X. “So proud of you!”

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That support isn’t some formality. During Maye’s time at UNC, Brown continuously praised his character, competitiveness, and leadership. Brown guided Maye both on and off the field, from handling media scrutiny to managing controversy, and even invited him into the process of hiring a new offensive coordinator. What’s telling is that the support never faded.

Even after Maye declared for the NFL Draft and after Brown was dismissed from UNC, Brown continued to publicly back his former quarterback. A few months ago, when tensions flared between the Patriots and current UNC head coach Bill Belichick, that loyalty showed again. Belichick reportedly instructed UNC staff to avoid posting anything related to the Patriots on social media, despite Maye being their starting quarterback.

Brown didn’t follow that script. After Maye led New England to a primetime win in Buffalo in October, Brown posted anyway.

“So happy for Drake,” he wrote. “Fun to watch him win last night in Buffalo like he did so many times at UNC. Love and appreciate you, my friend! Keep it rolling!”

Now, one of Brown’s favorite proteges is getting ready for the Super Bowl at such a young age. And going by his performance, he just might be able to win it all.