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In the latest example of a professional athlete making the leap back down to collegiate level, former Los Angeles Angels outfielder Jordyn Adams is finally getting his chance to play college football, at SMU.
One of the top wide receivers in the 2018 class, which also featured Ja’Marr Chase, Adams was set to attend North Carolina to play both baseball and football until being drafted 17th by the Angels that year, with a lucrative signing bonus.
A bona fide 5-star prospect, there were high expectations for Adams when he decided to sign with North Carolina.
But, given that the MLB came calling with a lucrative payday and opportunity, the talented receiver’s life story changed paths.
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Jordyn Adams of the Milwaukee Brewers catches a fly ball during the eighth inning of a spring training game against the Cleveland Guardians at American Family Fields of Phoenix on Feb. 21, 2026. (David Durochik/Diamond Images)
After starting his career with the Los Angeles Angels, Jordyn would finally make his big-league debut in 2023.
He ended up playing in 17 games that season for the organization, before playing another 11 games in 2024, ultimately bouncing around a few clubhouses before ending his baseball career two weeks ago after playing his final minor-league game.
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Finishing with 13 hits at the MLB level, his professional career never really took off, bouncing around the minor-league system while briefly making it to the show. Adams did hit 55 homers during his time in the minors.
Jordyn Adams of the Los Angeles Angels hits a walk-off single to defeat the Chicago White Sox in the 13th inning at Angel Stadium of Anaheim on Sept. 18, 2024. (John McCoy/Getty Images)
Now, following in the footsteps of others, more recently Monte Harrison at Arkansas, Jordyn Adams is going to finally put on the pads in college.
As of last week, the two-way player signed with the SMU Mustangs, where he will play wide receiver this fall. Will he have the same burst of success that we saw from Monte Harrison at Arkansas?
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That’s left to be seen, but the chance to pursue his second career, while entering college for the first time, was an opportunity he obviously had in the back of his mind.
Jordyn Adams bats during the ninth inning of his Orioles debut against the Chicago White Sox at Oriole Park in Baltimore on May 31, 2025. The Orioles won 4-2. (Diamond Images/Getty Images)
If you were wondering, yes, this is legal according to NCAA rules, since he never actually attended college or started his eligibility clock.
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But, as the NCAA prepares to pass the “5 in 5” rule, the timing of Adams enrolling at SMU was obviously a clear sign that he needed to get into college now.
Under the potential new rules, an athlete’s clock would start the minute they graduated high school or turned 19 years old.
Would this affect Adams? I would doubt it, and I don’t imagine SMU is wanting to waste time on a player who could ultimately end up ineligible, so the decision makes sense for both parties. And remember, he never actually enrolled at North Carolina in 2018, so he technically has years of eligibility left for college football.
He might be a tad older, but we’re about to find out if Jordyn Adams still has any juice left on the football field.