Pittsburgh Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi watches from the sideline during the first half against the Louisville Cardinals at Cardinal Stadium. Jamie Rhodes-USA TODAY Sports

Pitt HC Pat Narduzzi says two schools offered UNC QB Drake Maye $5 million to transfer

By Mike Santa Barbara | Last updated 12/21/22

Days after UNC head coach Mack Brown blasted programs for attempting to lure away quarterback Drake Maye illegally, Pittsburgh head coach Pat Narduzzi said two schools offered Maye $5 million to transfer during an appearance Tuesday on 93.7 The Fan.

"I heard five million," Narduzzi said. "I heard two schools, five million. I know the schools - can't tell you, but I know the schools too."

Narduzzi tells Fan of NCAA/NIL cheating, 'it's a sad deal’-hear all of what the #Pitt Head Coach told @ChrisMuellerPGH & @ThePoniExpress https://t.co/FGF8VOJiGX via @937thefan
— 93.7 The Fan (@937theFan) December 21, 2022

Narduzzi called it, "tampering," and believes the issues surrounding the transfer portal and NILs will only worsen due to what he's heard from around the country.

"I'm hearing guys are getting paid even before they enter," Narduzzi said. "They're getting bonuses just for signing tomorrow. Kids are being paid in high school a certain amount of money, and then 'when you get there, we give you this much.'"

Like Brown, Narduzzi didn't reveal any names of schools involved in the alleged tampering but hinted that those programs wouldn't be hard to guess.

College football programs can now entice players and reward them with NILs. However, contacting a player before entering the transfer portal, as Brown and Narduzzi allege happened with Maye, is still considered tampering.

It's easy to believe why schools would go all-out to try and secure Maye, the ACC player of the year, as its quarterback. As a freshman, Maye led the conference in passing yards (4,115), completion percentage (67.2), and touchdowns (35) and led both the ACC and NCAA in total yards (4,768).

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