Here are 18 prospects who also starred on the gridiron
Ben Weinrib
@benweinribThe two-time defending-champion Kansas City Chiefs are set to meet the Philadelphia Eagles in Super Bowl LIX, and plenty of baseball prospects will be keeping a close eye. After all, many current Minor Leaguers played football at a high level before committing fully to the diamond.
No, there aren't any dual-sports stars like Bo Jackson, Deion Sanders and Brian Jordan. And sadly, A's 2018 first-round pick Kyler Murray opted for a career as a quarterback rather than blazing the basepaths and roaming the outfield. But a host of other top prospects were well-regarded football recruits who stood out on the gridiron in high school -- and some even took the field in college.
More from MLB Pipeline:
? Top 100 prospects | Stats | Video | Podcast | Complete coverage
Myriad skills cross over between the two seemingly disparate sports. The speed that makes a wide receiver successful can be used on the basepaths and in the field. Arm strength is a key attribute for any quarterback, just as it is for any pitcher or defender across the diamond -- and it won't be surprising how many pitching prospects are former signal-callers.
Multisport athletes are often primed for breakouts once they focus all of their attention on baseball. And historically, athletic pitchers tend to have an easier time repeating their delivery and maximizing their stuff.
There's a long history of star baseball players choosing America's pastime over the gridiron, and these prospects could be the next ones to join the Major League ranks. Here's a quick look at the football careers and statistical highlights for some of these players.
Jackson Jobe, RHP, Tigers (MLB No. 5)
Jobe led Heritage Hall School (Oklahoma City, Okla.) to a 3A state championship as a sophomore starting quarterback and was efficient in his final year playing as a junior. Across six games, he tossed 14 touchdown passes (and just three picks) in 105 attempts.
Bubba Chandler, RHP, Pirates (MLB No. 15)
Chandler committed to play both baseball and football at Clemson before agreeing to an over-slot $3 million bonus as a Pirates 2021 third-rounder. A four-star quarterback recruit ranked 200th in the nation (20th among QBs), he earned Region 8 4A Offensive Player of the Year honors as a senior at North Oconee (Ga.) High School after passing for 1,842 yards and 18 touchdowns and adding another 548 yards and six scores on the ground.
Cade Horton, RHP, Cubs (MLB No. 52)
Horton planned to walk on to Oklahoma's football team as a quarterback but ultimately stuck to the baseball field -- where he both pitched and played third base. His football career ended with a senior season at Norman (Okla.) High School to remember: 3,084 yards and 26 touchdowns through the air and another 1,149 yards and 15 TDs rushing.
Jordyn Adams, OF, Orioles
Adams edged out five-star quarterback JT Daniels and basketball star RJ Barrett to become MaxPreps' 2017-18 Male High School Athlete of the Year because of his athleticism. 247 Sports ranked Adams as the nation's No. 14 recruit -- five spots ahead of future Pro Bowler Ja'Marr Chase -- and a $4.1 million bonus from the Angels as the 17th pick in the Draft led him to forgo a scholarship to play both football and baseball at North Carolina. He racked up 1,060 receiving yards (19.6 per reception) and 12 touchdowns as a senior at Green Hope High School in Cary, N.C.
Jay Allen II, OF, Reds
Allen put up massive numbers for John Carroll Catholic High School (Fort Pierce, Fla.), passing for 6,245 yards and 61 touchdowns and rushing for 1,632 yards with 26 TDs across his final three seasons. A three-star recruit, Allen had scholarship offers to play quarterback at Air Force, Coastal Carolina and Florida International but ultimately committed to play baseball only at Florida before the Reds drafted him 30th overall in 2021.
Jase Bowen, OF, Pirates
A three-star recruit (49th among WRs), Bowen posted 1,291 all-purpose yards and 14 touchdowns in his senior season at Central Catholic High School (Toledo, Ohio). He committed to play both baseball and football at Michigan State but never made it to campus when the Pirates went over slot to sign him for $392,500 as an 11th-rounder in the 2019 Draft.
Brody Brecht, RHP, Rockies
The Ankeny (Iowa) High School career record holder for receptions (124), receiving yards (2,269) and touchdown catches (29), Brecht earned all-state honors his junior and senior years. He even intercepted a pass in Ankeny's 2020 4A state championship. A three-star wide receiver recruit (No. 11 overall in Iowa), he played both baseball and football for the Hawkeyes, hauling in nine catches for 87 yards as a redshirt freshman.
Colin Houck, SS, Mets
Houck was a three-star recruit (82nd among QBs) who turned down offers to play football at Arkansas, Georgia Tech and Houston and instead committed to play baseball at Mississippi State. The Mets were able to buy him out of college altogether with a $2.75 million bonus as the 32nd overall pick in 2023. In three years as a starting quarterback for Parkview High School (Lilburn, Ga.), he passed for 6,047 yards and 63 touchdowns.
Brock Jones, OF, Rays
Jones earned all-league honors three times at Buchanan High School (Clovis, Calif.) and was team MVP his senior year. A three-star safety recruit, he totaled six interceptions, two fumble recoveries and 80 tackles across his final two seasons. Jones played both football and baseball at Stanford and registered six special teams tackles as a freshman before focusing solely on baseball and becoming a 2022 second-round pick.
Dakota Jordan, OF, Giants
Jordan wasn't taken in the 2022 Draft because he wanted to play both baseball and football at Mississippi State -- he was a three-star wide receiver who ranked No. 21 overall in the Magnolia State -- but he ultimately never hit the gridiron. His final season at Jackson Academy included 877 receiving yards (18.3 per reception) and 10 touchdowns in 11 games.
Kellon Lindsey, SS, Dodgers
Lindsey put his 80-grade speed to work as a dual-threat quarterback for Hardee High School (Wauchula, Fla.). As a senior, he passed for 1,272 yards and 13 touchdowns while also rushing for 1,236 yards (12 per carry) and 15 scores.
Walker Martin, SS, Giants
Martin led Eaton (Colo.) High School to multiple state championships in both football and baseball. He won Class 3A Player of the Year honors as a senior when he passed for 2,076 yards and 34 touchdowns with just five interceptions and ran for another 542 yards and seven scores.
Nolan McLean, RHP, Mets
McLean was a four-year starting quarterback at Garner (N.C.) High School and totaled 6,809 passing yards and 62 touchdowns over his final three seasons. He chose to go to Oklahoma State rather than sign out of high school because he wanted a chance to play both football and baseball (where he could pitch and play outfield). A three-star recruit (the 60th-ranked pro-style QB), McLean didn't take the football field in college and chose to focus solely on baseball after his freshman year.
AJ Smith-Shawver, RHP, Braves
Initially seen as more of a prospect as a quarterback than a pitcher, Smith-Shawver passed for 2,616 yards (290.7 per game) with 25 touchdowns his senior year at Colleyville Heritage (Texas) High School. He received scholarship offers from Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian and Lafayette as a three-star prospect and might have gotten an opportunity to play at Texas Tech (where he committed for baseball) had the Braves not drafted him in 2021.
Robby Snelling, LHP, Marlins
Snelling was a dual-threat quarterback for McQueen (Reno, Nev.) High School but stood out as a thumping linebacker, racking up 211 tackles (31 for a loss) with 12.5 sacks, four interceptions and three fumble recoveries across 26 games in his final three seasons. A four-star recruit (No. 7 in Nevada), he initially committed to Arizona to play both football and baseball before later flipping to Louisiana State, where he would have strictly pitched had the Padres not gone over slot to sign him for $3 million.
Blake Walston, LHP, D-backs
Walston led New Hanover (Wilmington, N.C.) High School to 3A state titles in both football and baseball and threw for a New Hanover County-record 9,185 yards as a three-year starter. In his junior season alone, the southpaw passed for 4,340 yards (271.3 per game) and 39 touchdowns.
Juaron Watts-Brown, RHP, Blue Jays
Watts-Brown put up huge numbers as Hanford (Calif.) High School's starting quarterback his final two seasons with a combined 3,260 passing yards, 1,564 rushing yards and 57 touchdowns. After suffering a shoulder injury while playing football, he went to college to play baseball -- redshirting his freshman year -- rather than going pro out of high school.
Lonnie White Jr., OF, Pirates
White was the No. 74 overall recruit in 2021 as a wide receiver -- three spots ahead of future NFL first-rounder Xavier Worthy among wideouts -- and committed to play both football and baseball at Penn State before the Pirates gave him an over-slot $1.5 million bonus. The COVID pandemic cut short his senior season with Malvern (Pa.) Prep, but White, who played quarterback as a junior, picked up five touchdowns and 369 yards (21.7 per reception) in four games.