Now, that’s a surprise… an NFL team adding a basketball player to their squad. The Indianapolis Colts have made the quirkiest move of the offseason by signing former Notre Dame Fighting Irish basketball forward Carson Towt as an undrafted free agent tight end.
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It is all the more unusual when we factor in the fact that Towt has never played a single snap of football at either the high school or college level. And, just 10 days before signing his NFL contract, he was still on the court, wrapping up Notre Dame’s 2025-26 basketball season.
However, this isn’t a random gamble for the Colts. Towt’s profile gives us a clear explanation for why they’re willing to take the chance.
Standing at 6-foot-7 and 250 pounds, Towt carries the physical attributes and frame that NFL teams look for in tight ends these days. He has the assets that would help him snatch the ball out of the air. And being built like a bruiser is great for the blocking game.
But then, Towt isn’t just all size… Along with the physicality, the production Towt has racked up in his 7-year college career has been impressive. The ex-Irish forward started 151 of 154 games, averaging 9.0 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.
His standout season came at Northern Arizona in 2024-25, where he led the nation with 423 rebounds and averaged 12.4 boards per game. Towt also recorded 20 double-doubles that year.
These numbers reflect a style of play that Towt believes is tailor-made for football. “I’ve had the itch to play football pretty much all through college… It’s perfect timing to kind of segue into this transition… Just an awareness of my physical gifts that were showcased on the basketball floor,” he said.
“I pride myself on dirty work and rebounding and being physical… I think football almost honors those a little bit better than basketball does,” added the 24-year-old.
Basketball skills like rebounding, boxing out, jumping with precise timing, and fighting through contact can all be handy while playing tight end. The Colts clearly see quite a lot of merit in what Towt brings to the table. Above all, what perhaps made them commit is experience… The team has already seen this experiment succeed before.
Veteran tight end Mo Alie-Cox, who is still on the roster, followed a nearly identical path. Like Towt, he played college basketball at VCU. He never played college football before signing with the Colts in 2017.
Since then, Alie-Cox has carved out a solid NFL career, recording 127 receptions, 1,550 yards, and 16 touchdowns over eight seasons. Towt is well aware of that blueprint and has already leaned into it.
“You hear the stories, and you think maybe he’s in a different position… no, he actually had to start from square one too,” Towt said about Alie-Cox. “You can’t get a better success story… I’m excited to get to working with him.”
Of course, Towt has to prove himself on the football field the way he did on the court. He’ll also have to navigate a crowded tight end room in Indianapolis. For the former basketball standout, earning a spot on the 53-man roster will be a challenge, and even securing a place on the practice squad will require rapid development.
However, history shows that this path, while rare, is not impossible. Players like Antonio Gates and Jimmy Graham made similar transitions and went on to have elite NFL careers.
