If UNC basketball players played football

Theo would obviously be the quarterback

To help hype Late Night With Roy back in October, the football team was asked to name five players it would start on a basketball team. The highlights included having Des Lawrence run point guard, Mitch Trubisky run small forward, and Nazair Jones was unanimously selected to play center.

But, if the roles were reversed, where the men’s basketball team play on the football field? We think we have the answer.

Joel Berry II, point guard, would play running back. He’s quick, strong and makes beautiful cuts on the court, and that translates well to the running back position.

Theo Pinson, shooting guard, would play the quarterback position. This one might not seem logical at first glance, but hear me out.

Theo is a truly gifted passer, capable of seeing the court in its entirety and hitting cutters in stride for easy baskets. At quarterback, he can use that vision and passing ability to get people in space. His opponents wouldn’t rush him because he could use his athleticism to avoid the rush and scramble if needed.

Justin Jackson, small forward, would play wide receiver. Justin runs the court with ease, and his size would be a tremendous mismatch at wide receiver. He would be equally capable of running past the corner or catching the ball over the top of him.

Isaiah Hicks, power forward, would play tight end. His combination of speed, power and finesse means that he would be right at home blocking in the run game or running pass patterns in the vertical attack.

Kennedy Meeks, center, would play offensive tackle. Using Kennedy at an offensive lineman position does several things that help the team. His strength and agility would make him a natural in both run blocking and pass protection. He also opens up trick plays to throw him the ball called a tackle-eligible pass.

Since the starting five all were pegged for offensive positions, the next five will all be pegged for defensive positions to keep the balance.

Nate Britt, point guard, would play cornerback. Nate’s quickness and leaping ability would make throwing the ball anywhere near him a dangerous decision because he could easily pick it off and run it all the way back.

Kenny Williams, shooting guard, would play safety. Kenny is another player who could use his quickness to prevent the big passing play, and his size would only help him deflect anything thrown in his area.

Brandon Robinson, small forward, could play linebacker. Brandon may not be the strongest player, but his blend of size and speed would allow him to play sideline to sideline to help patrol the running game and short passing routes.

Luke Maye, power forward, would play defensive tackle. Luke gets to use his size to every advantage in the middle of the defense by clogging running lanes and making any over-the-middle pass difficult with a 6’8″ frame and long reach to deflect the passes at the line.

Tony Bradley, center, would play defensive end. Tony uses his quick first step to rush the passer and set the edge in the running game. His balance and footwork would be on full display as he makes offensive linemen struggle to stay in front of him when making plays behind the line of scrimmage.

So in response to our football team’s selection of the “starting five” football players, those would be the five players and positions on offense and defense if the basketball team decided to play football.

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