Carson Towt is set to pull off a stunning career change, by swapping college hoops for the NFL.Earlier this month, the 6-foot-8 Notre Dame forward was grabbing rebounds on the glass for the Fighting Irish basketball squad.Towt is swapping the basketball court for the football fieldGettyFast forward 10 days, and Towt has signed as an undrafted free agent with the Indianapolis Colts.Carson Towt swaps college hoops for NFL dreamThe 24-year-old will convert to tight end and kick-start his football career with one of the NFL‘s historic teams, which once played inside an iconic dome.In the 2025-26 season, Towt led Notre Dame in rebounding (9.0 per game), and played for the final time in last week’s ACC tournament.His eligibility is now up, and he’s turning his attention to football, which he has never played at any level.“We kind of knew the beginning of my basketball season that we were going to explore this,” Towt said Tuesday, after inking a deal with the Colts.“It’s been quite the journey and man, it’s just getting started.“So I’m excited to see where we can all go.”Why has Carson Towt decided to make shock career change?Towt grew up playing basketball, and the idea of chasing an NFL dream first crossed his mind once he reached his imposing stature.Standing 6ft 8in tall, he also weighs in at 250 pounds.Towt considered being a dual-sport college athlete in college, having attended Northern Arizona from 2019 to 2025, before transferring to Notre Dame.Towt has no experience playing high school or college footballGetty View this post on Instagram But as he excelled on the hardwood, he wanted to give himself the best shot of succeeding in basketball.That effort paid off, as Towt started 151 of 154 career games in his collegiate career.He averaged 9.0 points, 8.8 rebounds per game, and also racked up impressive career totals of 56 blocks and 105 steals.As time went on, he realized he has the kind of physicality that could transition to the NFL, and could one day find himself alongside the league’s greatest tight ends.“I’ve had the itch to play football pretty much all through college,” Towt told the Colts.“It’s kind of worked out where my basketball career has come to an end in college, and it’s perfect timing to kind of segue into this transition.”Towt believes his physical gifts can translated to NFLGettyHe added that he expects the NFL to honor the ‘dirty work’ he did during his college career, perhaps a little more than the sport of basketball does.When asked what drove him to start a football career, Towt said: “Just an awareness of my physical gifts that were showcased on the basketball floor.“I think this sport honors those gifts, and the things that got me to Notre Dame and carried me through my career, and the things I pride myself on, I think this sport honors those things.“I pride myself on dirty work and rebounding and being physical. So I think football almost honors those a little bit better than basketball does.”Towt is not afraid to do the ‘dirty work’ on the court, and that will serve him wellGettyHave the Colts signed a college basketball player before?For a college basketball player transitioning to football, there is arguably no better place to land in the NFL than Indianapolis.The Colts, in fact, have done this before.Mo Alie-Cox, who starred playing college hoops at VCU, signed with the team. He had not played organized football since freshman year of high school.The move turned heads, but he is set to enter his eighth year with the Colts in 2026, having established himself as one of the most reliable inline blocking tight ends, and a key piece of Indy’s rushing offense.Alie-Cox has been one of Indy’s most reliable tight end optionsGettyHe also played college hoops before an NFL transitionGettyAlie-Cox has started 53 games to date, and produced 1,550 yards and 16 touchdowns for the Colts.His story has served as inspiration for Towt, who is about to embark on the same career change.“You hear the story and you’re like, ‘Okay, maybe he’s in a different position,'” he said of Alie-Cox.“No, he actually had to start from square one, too. So, I thought that was special and can relate to that.”Stay up to date with the latest from the NFL across all platforms – follow our dedicated talkSPORT USA Facebook page and subscribe to our talkSPORT USA YouTube channel for all the news, exclusives, interviews and more.