Top 10 College Football Players Who Could've Been in the NCAA Tournament
Let's face it: We're all rabid about football. But for the next few weeks, basketball takes center stage as we tune in to March Madness and wait on spring football to get hot and heavy, too.
Why can't we blend the best of both worlds with this story?
Some of the college football players starring on Saturdays did have it that way back in high school before choosing big-time football, and several of them could have developed on the hardwood enough where they could have been dribbling on your TV this March.
Then they could have joined two-sport stars like Keon Coleman and Maliq Carr of Michigan State, who will be participating in the NCAA tournament.
So, which college football players currently playing could you realistically have been watching star on the hardwood? While there are plenty of quality athletes who had great prep careers, only a few are out there who have the ability to be exceptional hoopsters.
Here are a handful of college football players who may have had the chops to be key cogs in NCAA tournament teams had they stuck with that other sport.
Jalen Carter, Georgia Defensive Lineman
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Imagine a 6'3", 310-pound power forward storming down the basketball court. Would you get in his way?
That's the conundrum that faced high schoolers around Apopka, Florida, when Carter was in school. He was a terrific player on the hardwood who thought he was going to play that sport on the collegiate level.
Instead, Carter was a huge part of the Bulldogs' national championship season as a defensive lineman on the nation's top defense. Despite sharing time with Jordan Davis and Devonte Wyatt, Carter finished the year with 37 tackles, including 8.5 for a loss, three sacks and three quarterback hurries.
Hearkening back to that basketball ability, Carter also added two blocked kicks, proving he's got major ups. He was throwing down ridiculous dunks in high school, and though he would have been a big dude on the court, it's possible he could have developed into a bruiser who registered significant minutes in college.
He did look a little like Zion Williamson out there in his basketball jersey.
Instead, Carter did it all wreaking havoc on offenses, and as lauded as Davis and Wyatt are, Carter may wind up being the best defensive lineman in the history of the program. He's that talented and perhaps has the same type of ceiling as another former elite DT, Warren Sapp, who also comes from his hometown.
Had Carter played college basketball, he wouldn't have made the tournament on this year's awful Bulldogs team, but he could have gotten some looks at other programs that could have been playing in March. Instead, he'll have to settle for being one of the most dominant returning defensive linemen in college football.
Cooper DeJean, Iowa Defensive Back
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It's just a matter of time before Iowa's Cooper DeJean becomes a household name.
The former Odebolt 4-star prospect signed with the home-state Hawkeyes, and he recorded just four tackles during a redshirt season a year ago. But the defensive back should battle for key reps this year for coach Kirk Ferentz's team, and stardom could be on the way.
Lofty prediction, you may say, but it's easy to project DeJean to be a great player because he's an elite athlete who has succeeded at everything. Not only was he a top prospect in football, but he was a track star who won the Class 2A 100 meters and long jump as well as finished second in the 200.
Oh by the way, he was also a first-team all-state selection in basketball.
As a senior, he averaged 25.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 7.1 assists per game for an OABCIG squad that went 21-2. "He showcased his playmaking ability through booming dunks, crisp passes, precision shooting (57.8 percent) and defensively at three steals per game," wrote Cody Goodwin of the Des Moines Register.
DeJean was a generational high school athlete and is one of those ultracompetitive kids who could excel no matter what you do with him. Several college football programs recruited him to play quarterback, according to the Des Moines Register's Matthew Bain, but he's going to eventually star on defense for the Hawks.
Think he couldn't play on Fran McCaffery's Big Ten champion team? There's no question he'd eventually carve out a role on even a quality team like that.
Drake Maye, North Carolina Quarterback
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Drake Maye was such a slam-dunk quarterback prospect coming out of high school in North Carolina, his basketball acumen often got overlooked.
After all, he was set to play for Nick Saban's Alabama Crimson Tide before deciding to stay home and play for the Tar Heels and carry on a family tradition. This year with Sam Howell off to the NFL, the redshirt freshman will battle Jacolby Criswell for the starting signal-caller job.
Maye has a bright future playing for Mack Brown that could begin in earnest this spring after limited reps last year, but you shouldn't forget about his basketball skill set. He was excellent in high school, averaging more than 16 points and 11 rebounds per game. Phenom Hoops President Rick Lewis said of Maye: "He has impeccable basketball instincts and an advanced skill set."
Yes, Maye is a 6'5", 210-pound quarterback who looks like a prototype and is a legacy whose father Mark played for the Tar Heels in the 1980s. But you may not know he's the younger brother of Luke Maye, who won a national championship at UNC in 2017 and was a two-time all-ACC forward from 2015-19.
So, basketball runs in the blood for Maye, and his teammate, defensive end Keeshawn Silver, considered playing basketball for Hubert Davis as well, but he has yet to join the UNC hoops team. So, Brown could have had a pair of two-sport guys.
Will McDonald IV, Iowa State Defensive End
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People around the country may not give Will McDonald IV the same type of ink they do Alabama's Will Anderson Jr., but the rising Iowa State redshirt senior is just behind him as the most dominant returning edge-rusher in the nation.
At 6'4", 245 pounds, the Pewaukee, Wisconsin, native is a lock to be a preseason All-American after finishing each of the past two seasons with double-digit sack totals and 13 tackles for loss in each of the last two seasons.
But he was a former basketball prodigy who was named the 2018 Classic 8 Player of the Year in basketball, averaging 18.3 points and 12.8 rebounds, according to his Iowa State bio.
While McDonald's budding NFL career proves he made the right call, it would be awesome to see him banging bodies in the paint with sneakers squeaking during a meaningful hoops game in March. Guys that big are beloved for being clean-up guys on the college level.
Yes, McDonald's build and height would probably make him a tweener without much pro potential, but he could thrive as a small forward.
McDonald's Pro Football Network profile alludes to his basketball history and his high-jumping ability while in high school, too. So, while he spurned the NFL for one more year to anchor Matt Campbell's defense in Ames, he probably could have helped the Cyclones in another sport this year, too.
J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State Defensive Lineman
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While we're talking about big men, 6'4", 272-pound Ohio State defensive lineman J.T. Tuimoloau has an exciting future that should see his ceiling skyrocket to a high-round NFL draft selection once his days at Ohio State are done.
But he could have wound up playing both sports for the Buckeyes; he's that good in basketball.
According to SI.com's Andrew Lind, Tuimoloau received the blessing from Ohio State football coach Ryan Day and basketball coach Chris Holtmann to play both sports, but it hasn't materialized yet.
"I think we're a ways away from him stepping onto a court," Holtmann said. "Ryan and I will have conversations. It will, I'm sure, ultimately come down to what the young man and his family really want to do."
Tuimoloau receiving offers to play both sports at Washington and Oregon, but he ultimately chose the Buckeyes in what was a whirlwind recruitment for the 5-star prospect who was one of the most hotly recruited players in the 2021 class.
As a true freshman, he finished with 17 tackles, including 4.5 for a loss and 3.5 sacks. So, even though he wasn't a stalwart yet, he is an uber-talented lineman who has a bright, brilliant future for a defense that needs impact players. He should settle into a starting role this year and blossom into a star.
Will that be enough to put to rest his dreams of both sports or just intensify it? OSU quarterback C.J. Stroud was a high school basketball standout, too, as was former star receiver Garrett Wilson. But the hope of millions of NFL dollars can change a mind in a hurry. Tuimoloau may have that decision to make soon.
Brian Thomas Jr., LSU Wide Receiver
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When Brian Kelly kicks off spring practice, he's going to find the cupboard far from bare for the LSU Tigers, and they have some world-class athletes all over the place.
A pair of those who could earn more playing time this season are receiver Brian Thomas Jr. and safety Jordan Toles, who each should factor in heavily to the Bayou Bengals rotation on either side of the ball this year.
They could have been SEC basketball stars, too, after both chose the gridiron over the hardwood after elite prep careers.
Thomas especially was a standout. The 6'5", 198-pound Walker, Louisiana, product was tall, fast and possessed terrific ball-handling skills. Gabe Brooks of 247Sports even mentioned in the prospect's profile he boasted Division I offers, but since Thomas was a top-100 prospect, he went the football route.
Right away, Thomas proved he was an explosive playmaker, finishing with 28 catches for 359 yards and two touchdowns in his first year in Baton Rouge and scored one of the Tigers' two touchdowns in a six-point loss to Alabama.
Thomas had offers from Texas A&M, Houston, Coastal Carolina, Tulane and others, according to Crescent City Sports' Rene Nadeau, who also noted Thomas played just three seasons of football before becoming an elite prospect.
When you factor in that he's just now scraping the surface of his immense potential, it's clear Thomas is a star in the making and he's more than just a pickup-game hero on the hardwood.
Michael Trigg, Ole Miss Tight End
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It's going to be interesting to see if Michael Trigg follows through with his high school dreams of playing two sports once he settles in at Ole Miss.
That was, after all, the plan when he originally signed to play football with Clay Helton's USC Trojans.
Following a tumultuous freshman season, though, the 6'4", 245-pound rising sophomore tight end left (along with quarterback Jaxson Dart) and wound up with Lane Kiffin's Rebels. He has so much more in the tank than the seven catches for 109 yards and touchdown from a season ago.
The Tampa, Florida, native is an explosive athlete who has a huge upside and should do big things in Oxford, but will he do some of those for Kermit Davis' basketball team?
When he originally signed with USC, he was going to follow in the footsteps of Drake London, who hoped to play two sports at Troy. Though that didn't materialize with any real playing time on the hardwood, London's career blew up on the gridiron, and he definitely will be picked in this year's draft.
Trigg told On3's Hayes Fawcett he will play both sports in the SEC, much the way he'd hoped to in the Pac-12. But saying it and those things actually happening don't always work out. Trigg's old basketball profile show Rivals rated him a 3-star, and he had plenty of high-profile offers.
Were those just to lure him to school because he was a football star, or because he could play? We may get the opportunity to find out one day.
Dallas Turner, Alabama Edge
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Learning under Will Anderson Jr. and watching the rising Alabama junior edge-rusher is paying major dividends for Dallas Thomas, who looks like the best young pass-rusher in all of college football.
There's a reason he was a 5-star prospect coming out Saint Thomas Aquinas High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the 6'4", 240-pound defender showed the nation in 2021, coming on during the last part of the season and finishing the year with 8.5 sacks once he got a chance to play.
But Turner was also a basketball phenom who could have played on the Division I level, too.
According to his 247Sports profile, Turner played for the prestigious Nightrydas Elite on the Nike EYBL circuit and was involved with USA Basketball.
His father, Delon, played college basketball at Florida A&M and is second in program history in points and third in rebounds. The elder Turner played professionally for 12 years including stops in Finland, Israel, Spain, Argentina and Korea.
Steve Wiltfong of 247Sports wrote that Turner received an invitation to the Team USA Junior National Team minicamp in Colorado Springs the fall before his sophomore basketball season, and teams like Florida State were showing him interest.
Football ultimately won out, and it's easy to see why. Thomas still had plenty of skills, as does teammates Ga'Quincy "Kool-Aid" McKinstry and Terrion Arnold, who planned to play both sports for the Tide and still may in the future.
Malachi Wideman, Jackson State Wide Receiver
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When Malachi Wideman signed with the Tennessee Volunteers out of high school, flipping from Florida State, he was all set to try to play for coach Jeremy Pruitt's Vols on the football field and for Rick Barnes in hoops.
As it turns out, he didn't get reps on either team, and he transferred to Jackson State in the offseason.
Now with a second chance playing for Deion "Prime" Sanders and the Tigers, Wideman is doing big things. He busted out last year for 34 catches, 540 yards and 12 touchdowns as a 6'5", 190-pound freshman, and he possesses some dynamic athleticism.
Just how incredible is his athleticism? Watch this high school dunk contest.
Unlike all the others on this list, though, Wideman actually may have an opportunity in March Madness sooner rather than later. He is also played for the Tigers basketball team, averaging 5.6 points and 2.4 rebounds coming off the bench in the 14 games he played following football season.
He scored 13 points against Alabama A&M in a game this year, and the guard has shown flashes. Texas Southern got the SWAC invitation to the NCAA tournament this year, but if Jackson State (11-19) can break through soon and Wideman sticks with it, he may actually have the chance to star.
The Sunshine State native could have done so at a higher level, too, and he is one of the most intriguing prospects on this list to watch and see what the future holds in both sports.
Bryce Young, Alabama Quarterback
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You may laugh about Bryce Young, the nation's Heisman Trophy winner, playing basketball. And while it'll never happen now because he's all set to be a future NFL millionaire and could throw out Xbox numbers this year in Tuscaloosa, he certainly was capable.
What kind of legend would Young be leading the Tide to a title and then going out and running point guard in Nate Oats' high-volume offense for the UA basketball team?
By the time Young was a highly recruited football prospect, a 5-star talent and wanted by everybody in the nation, the decision was made. But he could play a little hoops, too.
"He was athletic, his handle was really good, his shot was good, his decision-making was good, he could guard. He was a really good all-around point guard," Mike Teller, a basketball skills trainer in Southern California who began working with Young at age 11, told AL.com's Mike Rodak. "I've been doing this for going on 19 years, and in my opinion, there is no doubt he would have been a Division I point guard."
What if he'd have continued to cultivate those skills and elected to stick with basketball? That could have altered the landscape of college football's 2021 and '22 seasons significantly.
Sure, Saban would have just gotten another great prospect to play quarterback, but would he have been as good as Young, who is a thrill to watch extending plays, scrambling around and darting passes to his teammates? We'll never know.
All stats courtesy of CFBStats and Sports Reference. Player rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
Follow Brad Shepard on Twitter, @Brad_Shepard.
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