Colts Sign Notre Dame Basketball's Carson Towt, Add Veteran Lineman

The Indianapolis Colts have signed defensive lineman Jerry Tillery and Notre Dame basketball product Carson Towt to new contracts. Towt hasn't played football to this point, but will be slotted as a tight end on the depth chart.

Colts are signing former Vikings DT Jerry Tillery and former Notre Dame basketball player Carson Towt as a TE
— Joel A. Erickson (@JoelAErickson) March 17, 2026

Starting with Tillery, his addition adds to a multitude of moves that Chris Ballard has made to solidify the defensive line.

Colby Wooden, Derrick Nnadi, Micheal Clemons, and Arden Key are the previous four additions in an attempt to reshape the defensive trenches after much was left to be desired last year.

Tillery has plenty of NFL experience, which will prove valuable to Indianapolis' defense. He's suited up for 113 games and has logged 53 starts.

Through seven seasons, Tillery has stacked 195 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 14.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, and 46 quarterback hits.

Tillery has seen action with four different NFL teams through the years, but landed with the Kansas City Chiefs last season.

He accumulated 20 tackles, two tackles for loss, and 1.5 sacks in 17 games and three starts for Kansas City in 2025.

As a movable defensive piece, it will be interesting to see how the Colts choose to use him.

As for Towt, his story is an interesting one and is very similar to that of long-time Colts tight end, Mo Alie-Cox.

Colts tight end Carson Towt (white and blue jersey) goes for a layup in the paint. — Feb 14, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Notre Dame Fighting Irish forward Carson Towt (33) drives to the basket as Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets guard Akai Fleming (0) defends during the first half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Towt hasn't played a lick of football to this point, but has the physical tools and attributes to become a tight end in the NFL.

Through his six seasons as a basketball player, Towt logged 1,383 points, 1,357 rebounds, 420 assists, and 56 blocks in 154 games.

He started his college basketball tenure at Northern Arizona in the Big Sky Conference but ended his basketball career with the Notre Dame Fighting Irish.

Towt and Alie-Cox are nearly identical when discussing their NFL stories. Alie-Cox played basketball at Virginia Commonwealth and didn't suit up for football since the program didn't feature any gridiron action.

However, similar to Towt, Alie-Cox had the physical gifts and size to pose a threat at tight end as a blocker and red zone target.

Alie-Cox was recently re-signed to another one-year deal with Indianapolis and has spent his eight-year career with the Colts.

New #Colts TE Carson Towt says he spoke to veteran TE Mo Alie-Cox about the transition from college basketball to the NFL. Says he's grateful to have that real-life example/success story on a team he's joining.
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) March 17, 2026

Now, the Indianapolis tight end room features Tyler Warren, Alie-Cox, Drew Ogletree, Will Mallory, Sean McKeon, and Towt.

While it's an intriguing add on paper, Towt could be the odd man out, but we'll have to see how the former Fighting Irish rebounding machine fares in the NFL.

The Colts are taking their defensive line depth and tight end position seriously ahead of a massive 2026 season where there's nearly no room for error for Ballard and Shane Steichen.

While these types of signings are critical to round out a roster, the Colts fully understand they need far more impact, especially along the defensive trenches.

With plenty of time left to add more free agents ahead of the 2026 NFL draft, Ballard has to continue staying busy while achieving the daunting task of upgrading what was a disappointing performance from the defensive line in 2025.

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