Jordyn Adams, once the nation’s second‑most coveted wide‑receiver prospect in the 2018 recruiting class, has shifted his focus back to football after a seven‑year odyssey in professional baseball.
A Dual‑Sport Journey
The Los Angeles Angels selected him 17th overall in the 2018 MLB Draft, and he spent the next several years grinding through the minor leagues, appearing in 38 major‑league games and posting a .165 batting average with one home run and five RBIs.
Although his MLB numbers were modest, Adams compiled 1,060 receiving yards and 19.1 yards per reception during his senior year of high school, underscoring the athletic upside that originally made him a top recruit.
Now he has enrolled at Southern Methodist University, where coach Rhett Lashlee is positioning him as a wide‑receiver candidate, a move that could preserve up to four years of collegiate eligibility.
Eligibility on the Horizon
The central question revolves around a proposed NCAA rule change that would allow athletes like Adams to retain eligibility despite prior professional participation, a development that could set a precedent for similar cases.
If the rule is adopted, it may open the door for other multi‑sport prospects to pursue collegiate football after stints in baseball or other leagues, reshaping the landscape of athlete recruitment.