Former Angels' First-Round Selection Makes Shocking Move To CFB At 26 Years Old

A former first-round selection of the Los Angeles Angels has decided to make a switch to college football at 26 years old, On3’s Billy Embody reported on Tuesday morning. Recently released from a Triple-A affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers, outfielder Jordyn Adams will now try his luck in the world of college football.

Adams has enrolled at Southern Methodist University, where he will play out his fate as a wide receiver. Formerly a four-star prospect before signing with UNC in the 2018 recruiting class, Adams instead chose to pursue a career in baseball after the Angels selected him No. 18 overall that year.

Adams bounced around the Halos’ minor leagues for six seasons. He made his major league debut during the 2023 season, where he recorded just five hits and struck out 16 times in his 17 games. He again appeared in the majors in 2024, where he had more success, but his .604 OPS in 11 games wasn’t enough to convince the Angels of his spot on the team.

The Baltimore Orioles took a chance on the fading first-round pick in December of 2024, signing Adams to a minor league deal. Adams recorded a .665 OPS across the Orioles’ Double-A and Triple-A affiliates. Making one last MLB appearance in 2025, Adams did not record a hit in his five at-bats.

2026 brought him his final chance, this time in the Milwaukee Brewers’ organization. He had a solid year in Double-A, posting a .762 OPS, but struggled when he earned a promotion to Triple-A. Milwaukee released Adams on May 25.

At 26 years old, Adams' baseball career seemed to be finished. His career slash line in the minor leagues reads .245/.327/.376 while his major league numbers read .165/.193/.203. Still, he had another shocking opportunity on the horizon – a chance to return to the sport of football.

Since Adams was drafted to the MLB out of high school, he retained his college eligibility and will now make use of it at SMU. Adams’ football timeline may be coming nearly a decade late, but he was ranked as the No. 8 receiver in his class before committing to baseball.

Adams was ranked higher than now-star-receiver Ja’Marr Chase, who was ranked at No. 15 by 247Sports composite rankings. While other star receivers from his class, such as Amon-Ra St. Brown, Jaylen Waddle, and the aforementioned Chase, have established themselves in the NFL for some time now, Adams will resume his football journey at the collegiate level.

We have seen athletes switch sports before, but making the move to play collegiately at 26 years old is certainly an outlier. Though his career on the baseball diamond didn’t work out, Adams will now get to see out his dreams as a wide receiver.