North Carolina senior linebacker Allen Artis has been cleared of all charges, could return to football team in 2017
The North Carolina football team may be getting some additional help on the defense pretty soon.
Allen Artis, a reserve linebacker, was recently cleared of all charges in a criminal case that alleged that he had assaulted a female student in February 2016.
While Artis was going through the process, the team indefinitely suspended him until the case was resolved. Now that his involvement in the case has a resolution, there’s a possibility that he could rejoin the team.
However, the school has not officially welcomed him back to the team yet, and Artis hasn’t decided if he wants to continue playing football.
He is still enrolled in school and if he has been keeping himself in football shape, it could still be a good fit. The Tar Heels have struggled on defense in recent seasons and any available reinforcements would helpful; particularly from an experienced veteran.
Artis is listed at 6-foot-1 and 215-pounds and was originally recruited as a safety. He eventually made the move to linebacker to get more playing time. His best season came in his freshman year when he finished the season with 14 tackles.
Since then, he has just six total tackles but became a valuable player on special teams. Even if all he can provide for UNC is depth and special teams play, that could be more than enough to help the Tar Heels out, especially against the run.
He might also be able to provide leadership to the safety group which is young and inexperienced.
Honestly only time can tell. However, if he does come back, hopefully, this is a great experience for him and for the Tar Heels and overall he just adds to what may be the best defense in the Fedora era.
