Maurice Drew attended De La Salle High School in Concord, California where he ran sprints for the track team and played running back on the football team. As a junior, Drew rushed for 736 yards on 59 carries (12.5 yards per carry). He just about doubled that production as a senior, rushing for 1,457 yards and scoring 26 total touchdowns on the year. He was considered to be one of the top running back prospects in the nation and was invited to play in the California Bowl. He decided to stay in California after high school, accepting a scholarship to UCLA. Maurice made an immediate impact at UCLA, rushing for a team high 582 yards on 135 attempts. He had five touchdowns on the ground and also caught 15 passes for 104 yards. He became the first UCLA player to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in the same game since 1957. He was named third team freshman all-American and honorable mention all-pac ten for special teams in 2003. As a sophomore, Maurice had his best year running the football. He ran for 1,006 yards on 160 attempts and scored 8 touchdowns, despite going down in the Washington State game with a sprained ankle. He also had 18 receptions for 262 yards and 3 touchdowns. He was named second team all-pac ten for his performance. Maurice had another fine year as a junior, rushing for 914 yards on 186 carries. He had career highs in rushing touchdowns (13), receptions (31), receiving yards (453) and receiving touchdowns (4). Maurice had another year of eligibility but opted to leave school early to enter the 2006 NFL draft.

Maurice Drew is a compact back who runs low to the ground. He has great speed, balance, and change of direction ability. Although he lacks great size, Drew has deceptive strength. He has the ability to be effective when running between the tackles or he can take it to the outside and turn the corner. He is an elusive open field runner who will make defenders miss. He is a threat to take it the distance every time he touches the football but he isn’t a player who will break many tackles once a defender gets his hands on him. He has good hands and is a very effective receiver out of the backfield. He is also an excellent return specialist who has the ability to contribute on special teams immediately. Maurice lacks ideal size for an every down back in the NFL and hasn’t proven he can carry the load by himself over the course of an entire season. His size also raises the question about his durability. He also needs to improve his blocking to be successful in that area at the professional level. Maurice Drew is a versatile player who can be very valuable to an NFL team as a third down or change of pace back who can also serve as a return specialist on special teams. He should be a late first day pick in the 2006 NFL draft.