Why Carson Towt, Colts' New Basketball Forward-Turned-Tight End, Can Skip NFL Draft

Indianapolis made an interesting signing on Tuesday.

Former Notre Dame forward Carson Towt is signing with the Colts. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

The Colts announced a handful of signings on Tuesday afternoon as the second week of NFL free agency rolls on, among them: DT Jerry Tillery and TE Carson Towt.

The former—Tillery—you’ll likely recall, as the 29-year-old has wreaked havoc along the Chargers, Raiders, Vikings, and Chiefs’ defensive lines over the past seven seasons.

The latter in Towt, however, you may only recognize if you’re a staunch college hoops fan, as he's a former forward for the Northern Arizona and Notre Dame basketball teams. Towt played his last college basketball game just 10 days ago—a 77–69 Fighting Irish loss to Boston College in the ACC tournament—and will now take the less than three-hour drive from South Bend to Indianapolis with the idea of playing tight end in the NFL.

“I’ve never played football before,” Towt admitted to reporters when asked why he's comfortable making the transition. “I think just an awareness of my physical gifts that were showcased on the basketball floor, and I think this sport honors those gifts... my frame, how I developed, how I developed as a player, my play style, and what I pride myself on. Rebounding—a couple of years ago leading the country in rebounding and this year leading the ACC in offensive rebounding. I pride myself on dirty work, and rebounding, and being physical, so I think football almost honors that a little bit better than basketball does. So that’s why we’re here today.”

But how is this possible? Why can Towt, a 24-year-old fresh off the college basketball floor, skip the NFL draft and sign with the Colts as a free agent? I'm glad you asked.

Why Carson Towt was able to skip NFL draft and sign with Colts as a free agent

Carson Towt was a ballhawk on the court. | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

Towt was officially announced as an “undrafted free agent” signing by the Colts on Tuesday, something that may not add up to the naked eye, given that the 2026 draft isn’t until late next month.

However, according to the NFL’s rules of eligibility, Towt was actually eligible to be drafted in 2023—under the following condition:

“The player did not play or otherwise participate in college football, and four League seasons have elapsed since the player first entered or first attended college.”

Since Towt never played college football (or any football, for that matter), four NFL seasons had passed since he enrolled at Northern Arizona in 2019, and he went undrafted in 2023, he was technically a free agent and able to sign with any team.

The 6’8” 24-year-old will now bring his rebounding skills to the gridiron, joining fellow tight ends Tyler Warren and Mo Alie-Cox—also a former college hooper—in helping Daniel Jones and the Colts’ offense reach new heights in 2026.

---