Former Texas Rangers First-Round Pick Becomes Walk-On With College Football Team

The Texas Rangers are having a very solid offseason as they get ready for the upcoming campaign.

Following missing the playoffs after winning the World Series in 2023, the front office has made some additions to address the holes that were prevalent on their roster when injuries took out some of their key pieces which never allowed the team to really get going.

With Spring Training coming quickly, some other moves could be made before it gets underway, but someone who won't be preparing for the upcoming baseball season is Bubba Thompson.

According to Creg Stephenson of AL.com, the former first-round pick in the 2017 draft has enrolled at South Alabama and will be joining the football team as a walk-on.

Thompson was a dual-sport athlete in high school, leading McGill–Toolen Catholic High School to the Class 7A state title game his senior year after already being one of the best baseball prospects in the country.

Despite having offers to play football in college, he committed as a baseball recruit before turning down collegiate sports altogether when the Rangers took him 26th overall.

Thompson peaked at No. 5 overall in Texas' pipeline during the 2019 season, and after a few more years in the upper levels of the minors, he finally made his Major League debut in 2022.

It looked like the youngster was going to be a main part of this franchise going forward, slashing .265/.302/.312 with a homer, nine RBI and 18 stolen bases across 55 contests and 181 plate appearances, but when he struggled in 2023 during his 37-game sample size, he was designated for assignment.

That marked the end of his time with the Rangers.

The Kansas City Royals claimed him off waivers and he finished the year with their Triple-A affiliate.

Thompson then had a roller coaster of DFA's and waiver claims before this past season, eventually landing with the Cincinnati Reds and getting into 17 MLB games from March to May before spending the rest of the year in the minors.

Now, following that development of his baseball career, he's decided to give football another try.

"Head coach Major Applewhite confirmed to AL.com that Thompson is set to join the team for offseason workouts and the upcoming spring practices, but had no further comment," Stephenson wrote.

It's unclear what position Thompson is going to play at South Alabama.

The three-star quarterback recruit in high school can choose to switch positions, or he can utilize his four years of college eligibility and wait for his turn behind three other quarterbacks who have extended experience.