UNC’s Mitchell Trubisky looks to make a name for himself as NFL franchise QB

On the eve of his throwing session at the NFL scouting combine, North Carolina’s Mitch Trubisky made a request, relayed through ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

The quarterback formerly known as Mitch would like be referred to as Mitchell.

Mitchell Trubisky sounds more like the name of an accountant from Cleveland than a starting NFL quarterback. And there are still scouts and draft experts skeptical of whether Trubisky can become the latter after only starting 13 games in four years for the Tar Heels.

But Trubisky plans to show off a pro-caliber arm Saturday at Lucas Oil Stadium, where he’ll be tossing to a familiar target.

“He’s got great arm talent,” said UNC wide receiver Ryan Switzer. “And if you can’t see it (Saturday) just pull up the film. There’s plenty of it.”

Actually, there’s not.

Trubisky spent his first three seasons buried on the depth chart behind Marquise Williams, the former Mallard Creek star who started 33 career games and broke 20 school records.

Trubisky, who was Mr. Football in Ohio, thought he deserved to be on the field sooner. Tar Heels coach Larry Fedora disagreed.

“I wasn’t given the spot even though I thought I was the better quarterback deep down and I knew I could do the same things if not better and help our team,” Trubisky said. “But it wasn’t my call. It was out of my control.

“So I just did what I could for the team. I did my job when I was called upon and we won a lot of games with Marquise. He was the guy in front of me. So I learned a lot.”

Trubisky says he spent a lot of time in the film room when he was backing up Williams, who signed with Green Bay as an undrafted free agent last year but did not make the team.

The questions Trubisky took from the media Friday are the same ones he’s been hearing from teams: Does he have enough experience to be a franchise quarterback at the next level?

“I think I definitely have enough experience. I only have 13 starts but I played in 30 games,” Trubisky said. “I was prepared really well at North Carolina by coach (Keith) Heckendorf, a really good quarterbacks coach, and I’ve studied the game.”

Others aren’t sure Trubisky is ready, including NFL Network draft analyst Mike Mayock.

“I think he’s talented and I think he’s a starting NFL quarterback, but I had about the same grade on him that I had on (Patriots backup Jimmy) Garoppolo,” Mayock said. “I think they’re similar coming out of college. I had a second-round grade on Garoppolo. So I think the kid’s a starting quarterback in the NFL. I just don’t think he’s ready yet.”

Trubisky, 6-3 and 220 pounds, packed a lot into his only year as a starter, setting single-season school records for passing yards (3,748), touchdowns (30) and total offense (4,056).

But Trubisky believes he could have done even more.

“I thought we could’ve pushed the ball down the field even more, because I do have that arm strength,” he said. “I believe I can make any throw on the field. But I really liked our offense at North Carolina, I had a lot of good weapons, so it was just my job to distribute the ball.”

One of those weapons is Switzer, who roomed with Trubisky all four years in Chapel Hill. Switzer can attest to Trubisky’s assertiveness.

“He was always, ‘Switz, get the dishes or take the trash out,’” Switzer said. “I’m like, ‘Yeah, Mitch, you are not my dad.’”

Make that, “Mitchell.”

Beyond the arm strength and the type-A personality, Switzer said one of the most telling things from Trubisky’s time at UNC is the fact that he stayed.

“That would’ve been tough for anybody, man – to have such high expectations coming into college and having to wait your turn,” Switzer said. “A lot of people don’t do that nowadays. They pack up and leave. So that’s a testament to his true character.”

This story was originally published March 3, 2017 at 6:37 PM with the headline "UNC’s Mitchell Trubisky looks to make a name for himself as NFL franchise QB."