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As sports fans, we love what-if scenarios. We use them to speculate on everything. Along with “what if this player was healthy” or “what if that player was drafted by that team instead,” we love the exercise of asking what if great athletes played a different sport.
How great would LeBron be as a football player? Could Patrick Mahomes play in the MLB? The era of great two-sport professional athletes has mostly gone and passed—Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders, Michael Jord...well, he played two at least—and the latest example, Kyler Murray, chose to focus all of his attention on football.
But we still get the occasional two-sport college athlete. So in honor of KU two-sport great James Sosinski (KU football tight end and basketball forward/Final Four MVP of our hearts), let’s play a what-if game. What if Kansas basketball players were football players? What positions would they play? Where would their skills be best used?
Devon Dotson: Running Back
There are a couple of spots where Dotson’s speed and size make him a dangerous offensive weapon. At 6-2, 185 pounds, he may seem small on the basketball court but he is built like either a big running back or a slot receiver. With Dotson’s quickness and ability to weave through traffic, I’d want the ball in his hands (he’s used to that) and would have him lead in the backfield.
Marcus Garrett: Cornerback/Safety
This feels like a perfect fit. Garrett is a lock-down defender used to not giving offensive players space and taking the ball away at will. And given his height, he would be able to fight for jump balls with bigger receivers.
Ochai Agbaji: Wide Receiver
Agbaji would be a big, athletic receiver that would be a matchup nightmare for a lot of defenses. Not only is he 6-5/210, but his leaping ability means a quarterback can just throw it up, especially in the end zone, and let Agbaji go get it. Side note: an Agbaji/Garrett matchup on the football field would be pretty entertaining.
Silvio De Sousa: Defensive End/Outside Linebacker
De Sousa would be a beast on the edge, using his size and athleticism to burst past offensive tackles and get to the quarterback. Not to mention that long wingspan would bat down a lot of balls at the line of scrimmage.
Udoka Azubuike: Tackle
I’m not exactly sure what to do with Dok, but it seems like he could do a solid job protecting the QB as a tackle. Dok’s long arms and strength, and his footwork moving laterally, would serve him well. Plus, you wouldn’t be asking him to cover a ton of ground.
David McCormack: Tight End
Yep, give me McCormack’s 6-10, 265-pound frame running across the middle of the field. He’s the same size as Rob Gronkowski and three inches taller than Jimmy Graham. I don’t care if he’s not the fastest. That’s a sure-fire 12 yards every time you throw to him.
Bonus - Chris Teahan: Quarterback
Apparently Teahan was a wide receiver at Rockhurst in high school, but I don’t care. Just look at his hair; he’s playing quarterback. Those locks alone are good for honorable mention all Big 12.