WVU basketball center Harlan Obioha's college basketball career will soon come to a close. His sole season in Morgantown wasn't the flashiest, but it did come with some major performances in big-time wins. But one national college basketball analyst thinks that Obioha could tap into some unlocked potential after he leaves the hardwood.
During the ESPN2 broadcast of the Big 12 Tournament showdown between the West Virginia Mountaineers and BYU Cougars on Wednesday, commentator Fran Fraschilla offered up some bold career advice for Obioha – he suggested he takes a look at playing on the gridiron.
Fran Fraschilla suggests pro football career for Harlan Obioha
Fraschilla, who is one of the premier Big 12 basketball analysts for ESPN and a former Division 1 head coach, thinks that Obioha could follow in the footsteps of legendary NFL stars such as Antonio Gates and Tony Gonzalez by pursuing a professional football career.
"I think this kid could have a career on the gridiron," Fraschilla said.
Fraschilla cited multiple attributes as reasons for Obioha being a potnetial gridiron star, including his footwork, his size and physicality, and his former experience playing football in high school. Fraschilla also noted that he often gets calls from NFL scouts about college basketball players who could make the transition.
He also teased that Kansas City Chiefs head coach Andy Reid, who was in attendance supporting his alma mater BYU, could be impressed with Obioha's play. Sideline reporter Angel Gray made the effort to hunt Reid down and ask him if he was in attendance as a fan or as a scout.
"He said a little bit of both," Gray said.
Obioha played offensive line in high school and drew Division 1 attention in football as well as basketball, though he had a bit more passion for the hardwood. Despite playing 8-man football in a small Kansas town and only playing the sport for two years, he ended up becoming a significant target for multiple schools. When being recruited on the gridiron, he left quite an impression on college coaches.
“The most impressive part when you watch the film is he is playing center and nose guard, so you are able to see his hip and ankle mobility,” said one Power 4 assistant coach. “He shows athleticism playing nose guard, changing direction and tackling guys. It is small eight-man football in Kansas, so he is a developmental guy that has a ton of upside.”