The Indianapolis Colts made an unconventional move Tuesday, signing former Notre Dame basketball forward Carson Towt to transition him into a tight end-despite zero high school or college football experience.
Towt, 24, stands 6-foot-8 and weighs 250 pounds. He played six seasons at Northern Arizona before transferring to Notre Dame for his final collegiate year in 2025. Last season, he led the nation with 423 rebounds-the Big Sky Conference single-season record-and posted 20 double-doubles.
At Notre Dame, Towt averaged 5.9 points, nine rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 31 games.
The Colts have precedent for such conversions: Mo Alie-Cox joined the team in 2017 after a college basketball career at VCU. Over eight NFL seasons, Cox has totaled 127 receptions for 1,550 yards and 16 touchdowns.
Towt will join Cox and rookie Tyler Warren-a first-round pick from Penn State-on the Colts’ tight end depth chart. The team recently re-signed quarterback Daniel Jones and wide receiver Alec Pierce but traded away Michael Pittman Jr., potentially increasing target opportunities for tight ends.