ESPN.com's Joe Schad is reporting that the Tar Heels are preparing to play LSU Saturday night without up to 16 players due to dual NCAA investigations.
Upwards of seven starters on defense, along with the Tar Heels' top two running backs and their leading receiver, could find themselves banished come Saturday.
Defensive end Robert Quinn is being investigated by the NCAA, Schad reports, for both interaction with an agent and being involved in the academic aspect of the probe. Linebackers Bruce Carter and Quan Sturdivant and cornerbacks Kendric Burney and Charles Brown are among the fellow defensive starters who could find themselves suspended for at least the opener. While not mentioned by Schad in this report, safety Deunta Williams is another player who's name was brought up in the initial investigation.
Wide receiver Greg Little has been mentioned as a person of interest in the past and is still in danger of not making the trip to Atlanta Friday morning. Top backs Shaun Draughn and Ryan Houston, whose name's have not been on the radar like the others, could also be sidelined.
In an attempt to ease the pain of losing a little over one-fifth of their 85-man roster, UNC, in conjunction with the NCAA, is exploring the possibility of "rolling suspensions" that would allow them to spread their losses over several games, Schad writes. With such a seemingly widespread problem, it would seem a little more than curious that the NCAA would do anything to help the Tar Heels weather the predicament they find themselves in.
The Tar Heels are scheduled to fly to Atlanta for the opener Friday morning, and the school hopes they have an answer one way or the other from the NCAA as to which players will need to be left behind.
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