Before the Los Angeles Angels drafted Jordyn Adams with the No. 17 pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, Adams had signed with North Carolina to play college baseball and football.
Then, a deal worth more than $3 million from the Angels led Adams to pursue a professional baseball career and leave behind football. But now, Adams will leave behind his MLB dreams to pursue a collegiate football career at SMU.
Adams is reportedly enrolled at SMU and plans to play football there next season, according to CBS Sports.
The 26-year-old was a five-star football recruit out of Green Hope High School in Cary, North Carolina. He was ranked as the No. 3 wide receiver in his class behind current NFL stars Amon-Ra St. Brown and Ja’Marr Chase.
As of now, Adams is still eligible to play collegiate football. However, the NCAA has discussed implementing an age-based “five-for-five” model that would limit athletes to five years to compete in collegiate sports immediately after high school graduation or their 19th birthday.
If the NCAA implemented that model, Adams would no longer be eligible to play college football.
Adams Played Two of Three MLB Seasons With Angels
After the Angels drafted Adams in 2018, he went on to make his MLB debut with the Halos in August 2023. He played in 28 games with the Angels across the 2023 and 2024 seasons, recording 13 total hits, five runs, five RBIs and a home run in 74 at-bats.
Adams played all three outfield positions during his two-season MLB stint with the Angels.
Adams signed with the Baltimore Orioles in free agency for the 2025 season. He went 0-for-5 and played right and center field in 10 MLB games with the Orioles that season.
He signed a free agent deal with the Milwaukee Brewers ahead of the 2026 season. Adams never made an MLB appearance with the Brewers and most recently played with the Triple-A Nashville Sounds.
Adams played his final game with the Sounds on May 20 then Nashville released Adams on May 25.
Photo Credit: Jessica Alcheh-USA TODAY Sports
The post Former Angels First-Round Pick Trades Baseball for College Football at SMU appeared first on LA Sports Report.
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